Land of the Roses
by AC-Prescott
Summary: Set in the fictional region of Lanark, Land of the Roses follows the adventures of a young field researcher, a novice coordinator and their assorted friends as they journey across the land in search of answers and for personal discovery. Despite the technological advances of humanity, the world remains a beautiful, mysterious and untouched place, ripe for exploration and adventure.
1. Chapter 1: Dr Reiland

May 12th, a spring afternoon like any other in the land of the roses. Cloudy. Rainy. Cold and miserable, with a slight touch of gloom. A blanket of rolling, grey clouds covered the entire country that day. A sharp wind blew through the grass-choked stone valleys, bringing with it the lingering bitterness of a winter that refused to go away.

Despite the dreary weather, life went on as usual. The echo of a train horn blared across the peaceful, untouched countryside. High up in the stony foothills of east Lanark, the source of the horn blast slowly made its way across the narrow cliff side, carefully navigating the winding rails, stone-cut tunnels and rickety, rusted bridges ahead of it.

Aboard the train sat a young woman, completely disconnected from the world around her. Her attention was sunk in her smart phone; between the power metal that blared through her headphones and the game of Tetris that she was wrapped up in, the outside world was little more than an afterthought to her. She tried desperately to keep up with the pace of the colored blocks that raced across the screen, but it eventually proved to be too much and the game ended.

"Come on!" she grumbled to herself. "Almost made it to level 30 again..." She was tempted to start another game, but instead decided to gaze out the window at the passing countryside, an opportunity she rarely had. In the foggy, rain swept distance, the northern mountains loomed above the landscape like eternal sentries. The valley below was bathed in a rich, verdant green as the foliage finally began its yearly, spring-time return. " _The view would be perfect,_ " she thought, " _if it weren't for this damned rain._ "

The peaceful atmosphere was spoiled by her phone ringing loudly and unexpectedly. The screen lit up: ' _Incoming call from Dad_ '. She adjusted her position on her seat as she slid her finger across the unlock bar on the bottom of the screen, then pressed the button to answer the call. The screen quickly faded, then displayed a video of a man seated in a leather armchair in a dimly-lit room.

The man's face lit up with excitement. "'eeeeeey! There's my girl!"

"Hi," she quietly responded.

"Just thought I'd call to check in on you. Today's the big day, right?"

She nodded.

"How's the train ride? Smooth?" her father asked.

"A few minutes behind schedule, but the trains always are," she answered. "I think I should be arriving in Loch Alstan soon."

"Just in time for your interview!"

"Don't remind me," she commented.

Her father's joyous demeanor was dented by her words. "Oh? You're not nervous, are you?"

"That's putting it mildly. The last four years of my life are going to be judged, and hard. Something from my past is going to slip through the cracks and sink this opportunity for me, I know it."

He dismissed her concerns with a shake of his head. "Unless there's something you got involved in that you shouldn't have, you'll be fine. You're too hard on yourself, you know that?"

She sighed. "Maybe. It's hard not to be, sometimes..."

Her father leaned in closer to his webcam as he folded his hands on his desk. She knew this body language well, and could almost predict what he was about to say, word for word: "Remember, Dr. Reiland invited you to visit her research center instead of outright dismissing you. That alone says something. You really think she'd drag you across the country just to tell you you're not good enough?"

"That would be pretty cruel of her..."

"I don't know Dr. Reiland personally, but I do know that she is a well respected, professional woman. She wouldn't do that to you." he said. "I can understand if you're nervous. I was when I graduated from the academy. Felt like the world was about to come crashing down on me, but you know what? It didn't. You'll be fine."

"I know..."

"You're a very capable young woman-"

"Ugh, stop it," she said with a smile. "You're going to make me throw up."

"You are, though! Ten golden roses says that she'll hire you today."

The young woman jolted forward a bit as the train slammed on its brakes, signifying that it was arriving at its destination. The speaker system on the train blared with a catchy jingle before the conductor began to speak.

 _"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for riding with Silverline today! In a few short minutes, we'll be arriving at Alstan Central Station. At this time, we ask that you retrieve any personal-"_

"The train's arriving... I'm going to make sure I have everything in order, okay?" the young woman said.

"Sure thing. Call me if you have any trouble."

"I will."

"Keep your chin up, eh? You've got this."

"I hope so... Good bye!"

"See ya, sweetie!"

The screen faded to black and the young woman put her phone back into her purse. While she did so, she made sure that she had everything she brought with her for her stay in the town: identification, some spending money, a backpack stuffed with unhealthy snacks, a spare change of clothes and paperwork related to her upcoming job interview.

It dawned on her that this was finally happening. After four years of hard, grueling work and study, she finally had her shot at the career she always dreamed of, and it was so close she could almost feel it. What she felt wasn't excitement or joy, however, but uncertainty and anxiety. To think that a simple rural girl could end up working at one of the most prestigious research centers in the country seemed too good to be true.

The train came to a complete stop and the doors began to slide open. The young woman stepped out onto the rain-soaked platform and the biting cold winds instantly snapped her back into reality. She quickly approached a map of the town that was posted on the terminal wall and began to study it. Much to her dismay, the map was anything but helpful; while it displayed a few of the town's sights, Dr. Reiland's Institute for Research wasn't labeled.

"Already, the world conspires against me..." she lamented.

She retreated to the warmth of the terminal building and tried to find another map in the hopes that it might be labeled properly, but she had no luck. She approached numerous strangers about where to go, but their either didn't know, or flat out ignored her presence. Instead of trying to ask more people, she approached the ticket salesman for help.

"Good day, welcome to Silverline! Buying a ticket?" the salesman asked.

She shook her head. "No. I just got here, you see, and I have no idea where I'm going. Would you happen to know where Dr. Reiland's Institute for Research is?"

"Yes, it's hard to miss. When you step outside, you'll see a giant windmill in the distance. Just walk towards it, you'll find what you're looking for."

"Thank you."

"Enjoy your visit! Stay warm out there!"

* * *

It was a long and brutal slog through the rainy streets of Loch Alstan. The howling wind and the chilling rain were relentless, but they only motivated her to carry on as quickly as she could. With the giant windmill looming out of the fog above her, she knew that she was close. "Just a couple more blocks..." she muttered to herself as she shivered uncontrollably.

At last, she had arrived. The large brick complex before her was far less glamorous than she imagined it would be; it was just a giant square building that was separated into six floors. There were absolutely no unique features about it other than the fact that it was so boring, a clear contrast to the rest of the town's Edwardian-styled architecture.

"Here it is..." she muttered. She took a deep breath to reassure herself, then pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The lobby was unlike anything she expected. The first thing that caught her attention was the large fountain in the center, which featured four seahorse-like creatures sending jets of water into the air. As she wandered over to it, she noticed that nearly the entire floor of the fountain was littered with coins. Accompanying the entrancing flow of the water was the alluring sound of smooth jazz that played throughout the lobby. Both served to calm her nerves a bit.

She timidly approached the service desk and was greeted warmly by the receptionist.

"Hello! Welcome to Dr. Reiland's Institute for Research! How may I help you today?" the receptionist asked in an almost pre-programmed manner.

"Umm... I'm here for a meeting with Dr. Reiland," she answered.

"Name, please?"

"Andrea Dennison."

"I'll need to see some form of ID."

Andrea dropped her purse on the desk and dug through it. She retrieved a student ID card from the University of Aughrim and handed it to the receptionist.

"A moment, please," the receptionist said as she started to furiously tap away at her keyboard. "Dr. Reiland doesn't meet with many people these days. You're quite lucky."

"As if I needed to feel any more nervous..."

The receptionist continued to tap away. After a moment, she continued, "Here you are! Andrea Dennison, meeting scheduled for May 12th, 2:30 PM. Right on time!" She picked up the phone beside her and spoke into it. "Dr. Reiland's guest is here. Want to come and escort her?"

"Escort?" Andrea asked.

"We take security here very seriously," the receptionist said as she handed the ID card back. "We're not as big as Silph Co., but Dr. Reiland refuses to chance it after what happened to them all those years ago."

"Good point."

A few minutes passed by as Andrea patiently awaited her escort, until finally a door deeper into the facility opened. A young man with strikingly bright red, wavy hair entered the lobby and waved towards the receptionist. "Is this our guest?" he asked.

The receptionist nodded silently as she tapped away at her keyboard.

The man extended his hand forward as a sign of good will. "Andrea, right?"

"Yes."

"Welcome to our research institute. My name is Patrick Adelaide, I'm one of Dr. Reiland's senior staff members. If you're ready to see her, follow me."

Patrick led her through the secured door and into a hallway that seemed to stretch into eternity. Lining the sides of the hallway were doorways into small rooms, each filled with racks of Pokéballs, bulletin boards blanketed with papers, baskets of berries, bottles of medicine and scientists hard at work. Other rooms were locked down tightly, sealed behind reinforced doors and biometric scanners. The level of security almost seemed excessive and Andrea could only imagine what was behind them.

He broke the silence with some small talk as they climbed the stairs towards the second floor. "Those clothes of yours..." he said as he shook his head.

She looked down at her clothing and concern began to wash over her. Her attire was simple, yet kept to a strikingly dark theme; a black minidress with long, lacy sleeves, paired with black and grey striped stockings, all rounded off with thick, shin high leather boots. Strange, by the average person's standards, but by no means outlandish. The fact that some of his first words were about her clothing put her on the defensive. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Most people don't dress like they're going to a midnight rave when they have a job interview."

"T-this is the best I had!" she stammered. "I'm fresh out of university, I can barely afford the clothes I'm wearing, let alone get something fancy. And the-"

"Relaaaaax, it's not me you have to impress! Besides, you honestly don't look that bad, just... a little strange." He let out a polite chuckle. "Anyways, I've heard a bit about you from Dr. Reiland."

"Oh, have you?" she asked. To her, the fact that Dr. Reiland had been talking about her meant that she had already made an impact. The question begged, however; was it praise, or disapproval? "What did she say?"

"I heard that you have a bachelor's degree," he said.

"I do, in biology."

"And yet you're only twenty years old?"

She nodded.

"Impressive. You must have quite the powerhouse in that ol' noggin of yours."

"That's debatable," she said. She was curious to know more about what Dr. Reiland had been saying, but it would have to wait.

The two stopped in front of Room 237-B. A plaque adorned with golden letters spelled out the name: Dr. Rebecca Reiland, Ph.D. The door was closed, locked and protected by a keycard scanner, something Andrea thought of as strange at first, but then remembered what the receptionist said about security. Patrick knocked on the door, and after a brief moment of waiting, the door opened.

The two were greeted by an older woman with greying hair and a warm smile. The woman immediately recognized Andrea and welcomed her. "Ah! Andrea Dennison, we meet at last!" she said. She rested her left hand on a cane as she extended her right hand outward.

"The pleasure is mine," Andrea answered as they shook hands.

She took a moment to critically analyze Andrea's rebellious looking appearance. The faint look of worry drifted across her face. "You look... different than I expected."

Andrea looked down at her clothing and started to worry again. "I-I assure you-"

"But, as they say, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover," Dr. Reiland motioned into her office. "Please, come. You as well, Patrick."

The office was a cozy mess. Almost every available square inch had been filled; nearly a thousand books about hundreds of subjects lined the bookcases and shelves. Honors, awards and newspaper articles gobbled up what little space remained on the walls. An unorganized bulletin board, covered in old papers dating back as far as twenty years, hung behind the ornate oaken desk that sat at the center of the room. The desk itself was covered in a wide array of loose papers, handheld equipment, framed photographs and a dozen bottles of medicine.

"Do not mind the mess," Dr. Reiland suggested as she walked over to her desk. "It does become difficult to tidy up around here sometimes."

"I _have_ offered to help, doctor," Patrick commented.

"I can take care of it myself, I just need a little free time," she said as she sat at her desk. "Please, have a seat."

The two did as they were asked.

Dr. Reiland began to dig through the papers that adorned her desk, categorizing them neatly and quickly as she did so. "I have your application somewhere around here, Ms. Dennison... Ah! Here it is." she said. "Before we begin, I would like to thank you for coming on such short notice. I understand that the train ride from Aughrim is a long and exhaustive one."

"Nearly seven hours, ma'am," Andrea answered.

"The fact that you made the journey in the first place shows your dedication. I don't think many people who would travel across an entire country on the vague hope of a job offer."

Andrea laughed nervously.

Dr. Reiland lifted a pair of reading glasses to her eyes. "Very well, let's begin... I've looked over your application many times, Ms. Dennison, and it's quite impressive for someone your age. A bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Aughrim, a published thesis on the effects of pollution on marine and shore life, two years of course credit in mechanical engineering, a 3.7 grade point average, top marks in high school, four years as a part time waitress... I will get right to the point, I don't receive many applications from people of your caliber."

" _All good words so far..._ " Andrea thought to herself.

"Yet, personal accomplishments are not the only metric by which man is measured. Drive, personality and the ability to work with others are all equally as important."

"She's got a degree, doctor," Patrick chimed in. "I think she's got the drive."

"Perhaps she can answer that herself? Andrea, why did you apply to my research center?"

Andrea thought about and chose her words carefully. "I've learned a lot during my studies. I could always learn more, but I feel like I need a change of pace for awhile. I was thinking of putting my knowledge to practical use, perhaps solve some problems instead of just read about them. Your research center here would give me the ability to work with others towards that common goal."

Dr. Reiland and Patrick looked at each other briefly before nodding.

"Fantastic answer, Ms. Dennison," she said. "Next, I want to ask you about... well, you! Things such as personality do not come across in a job application, and I need to get to know you a little better before we start talking about a position for you." She leaned over her desk and studied Andrea closely. "I know I said that I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but... your clothing worries me, admittedly."

" _Why does everyone have a problem with the way I dress?!_ " she shouted in her thoughts. "It's just a style I like, nothing more."

"So you won't be spending every waking moment realizing that your life is an endless torrent of agony?" Patrick asked.

"No. Life is to be enjoyed, rain or shine."

Dr. Reiland and Patrick met eyes once again, only this time neither of them nodded.

Dr. Reiland began to flip through Andrea's application. "Have you done any volunteer or charity work? I noticed a distinct lack of it on your application..."

The tone with which Dr. Reiland spoke made Andrea nervous. "Umm... I didn't have the time. Between the demanding hours of my studies, my job as a waitress and what little social life I had, I could never find an opportunity to make an impact like that."

"Hmm..."

"Surely you remember your own years at university, doctor," Patrick added. "Did you find yourself with much free time?"

"Whose side are you on?" she smiled. "But you're right. Pursuing a degree is time consuming work and offers little room for distraction."

Andrea breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the words. For a moment, she thought her future was ready to slip through her fingers.

Dr. Reiland continued the questions. "How do you deal with others around you, Ms. Dennison?"

"If someone needs help, I'm happy to lend a hand. If _I_ need help, I'm gracious enough to accept it. Part of progress is learning to work with others to achieve something greater than ourselves." she said. "However, for smaller projects, I find that I work best alone in most circumstances. It's much easier for me to focus."

Dr. Reiland leaned back in her chair and absorbed Andrea's words. "I like what you have to say, Ms. Dennison. Confident, yet willing to compromise. I can feel the honesty in your words." She looked towards Patrick for his opinion. "What do you think, Patrick?"

"I see little wrong with her," he said. "I think she could go far in a place like this, while remaining a valuable asset to us."

"I'm thinking the same," she nodded. She grabbed her cane and pushed herself to her feet, and extended her hand across the desk. "Very well, Ms. Dennison. I look forward to working with you, welcome aboard!"

Andrea quickly and excitedly rose to her feet and nearly yanked Dr. Reiland's arm off as they shook hands. "Thank you, thank you, [b]thank you[/b] for this opportunity! You won't regret it, I swear on my life!"

"Good! You start tomorrow, if there's no problem with that!"

"No, no! Not at all!" The thought hadn't even registered in Andrea's mind that she had no connection to the area; no friends, no family, not even a place to live. She didn't stop to think about the circumstances that had brought her to this moment, and how utterly unprepared she truly was for a successful outcome. All she could think of was getting started. "What's my first project?" she asked.

"That's a good question," Dr. Reiland commented, then turned to Patrick for ideas. "Perhaps Patrick here could be a dear and find you something to do in the morning while we look for a longtime position for you to fill."

"I've got some ideas," Patrick said. "Will that be all, doctor?"

Dr. Reiland nodded. "For now, yes."

"Very well! Follow me, Andrea, I'll give you a little tour of the facility, then fill you in on your first project."


	2. Chapter 2: Where it Begins

"You're going to like it here," Patrick said. "We have a very laid back atmosphere. Everyone's friendly, nobody feels like they have to one-up anyone else... When I first started here, it was like a dream."

"Is it still a dream?" Andrea asked.

"You bet."

He led her down the hallway that stretched into eternity. As they passed by each room, he took a moment to inform her of what kind of work was done within. Room 232 was dedicated to the research of shallow, salt marsh environments. Across the hall in room 231, researchers focused on rocky tide pool environments, and even further down the hall, room 227 focused on simulating the environment found in a lowland, freshwater swamp. Overwhelming heat drifted off of the door to room 213, which was dedicated to the research of desert flora and fauna.

"We could spend all day going up and down these hallways, so I'll just sum this up as our environmental research wing. Based on your studies and your thesis, this might be where you spend a majority of your time."

"This isn't all you focus on, right?" she asked.

"Correct," he said. He pointed down the hallway behind him. "The west wing is where our staff works on its medical research. Biochemistry is over that way, too. In the northern wing, we have a radiology department, genetic research, a hatchery for our various research subjects-" He paused to study Andrea, only to find her lost in wonder. "Bored yet?"

"Hunh? No, no! Not at all! This place is fascinating!" she said.

He nodded happily as he heard it. "Good. Most people would probably feel like they're dying of the plague in a place like this."

They continued down the hall towards the east wing, passing by more rooms along the way. An arboretum for the study of jungle plantlife, a dimly lit room for studying cave moss, even a pressure chamber for studying the potential of life in the vacuum of outer space. Andrea had heard about the environmental research that took place here, but never dreamed that it'd be as diverse as it was.

As they moved along, Patrick couldn't help but ask, "Do you have any experience with training Pokémon?"

She shook her head. "No. It hasn't interested me all that much."

"No?" he asked, clearly surprised.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Maybe it's not. Many among our staff, myself included, are hobbyist trainers in our spare time. It makes our jobs as researchers, especially in this department, so much easier. When we're working with subjects that trust us and understand our goals, they're less likely to fight the process."

Worry crept over her. She recalled the struggles of being taken seriously by her professors and fellow students during her time at university. " _Will the same thing happen here?_ " she thought. "That won't be a requirement, will it?" she asked.

"No. If you're not into it, you're not into it, it's that simple." he answered. "Speaking of requirements, there's some stuff that we need to take care of before you get started. Follow me."

* * *

" _Ooooh, this is so exciting!_ " Andrea's thoughts screamed. " _I can't believe this is happening!_ "

Patrick looked back and noticed the look of bliss on her face. "You're kinda strange."

"Excuse me?"

"In a good way, I mean. You're the first new hire that I've met with a smile that wide on their face," he commented. "Most people around here look pretty grim or overwhelmed when they walk these halls."

"I try my hardest not to look grim, especially when I'm in a good mood," she said.

"Based on how you dress, I thought grim would be the look you'd go for," The sunshine on her face faded, and the sharp glare he received from her garnered a laugh. "That's more like it! I think you and I are going to get along well."

The two entered a cramped storage room that was filled to capacity with overburdened metal shelves, cardboard boxes, plastic bins and glass containers. Patrick encouraged Andrea to stay behind as he squeezed his way through the tightly packed corridor towards the back of the room. Loud banging, the sound of boxes falling and a few angry obscenities were muttered before he returned with a small wooden box in his hands. "We really need another storage room for our equipment..." he muttered.

He opened the wooden box and grabbed a small, pink device from within. Measuring approximately 4.5 inches by 2.5 inches, the device featured a large touch-sensitive screen, a standard cable input port and a headphone jack, as well as a wrist strap. He handed the device to Andrea. "Here you are, standard issue to each member of our research staff."

Andrea grabbed the device and studied it closely. She turned it on and was greeted with a welcome message, which quickly faded to an app selection screen that featured numerous useful programs, including the likes of a map, e-mail, weather forecasts and even a digital radio. She found herself overwhelmed by the potential capabilities of the device and asked, "What is it?"

Patrick was shocked. "You haven't seen one of those before? What the bloody hell are they doin' over there in Aughrim?" he scoffed. "Well... It's a researcher kit, manufactured by the Catrianna Corporation of Storm Island. Most people call them R-Kits for short."

"Oh, an R-Kit! I read about these, but never got a chance to use one. I think Professor Burke at the university had one... I didn't have any classes with him, so I never got to see it." she mused as she wrapped it around her left wrist.

Patrick reached into his pocket and grabbed a red and white spherical object, then offered it to Andrea. "Here's your first test. If you can properly scan this Pokéball, you pass."

She grabbed the Pokéball and started to tap away at the apps on the screen of her R-Kit. "And if I can't?"

"Then you're in for a few rough first days as you learn how to use it."

She clicked through the apps until she found one named Accu-Scan, which seemed like the right first step to take. However, the next step was a mystery to her, as she was greeted with several dozen options, configurations and methods of scanning just about anything imaginable: air quality, magnetic fields, physical data, even color data. She took her sweet time to sift through the useless junk until she found what she was looking for. She activated the Pokéball analysis mode and pressed the scan button.

Without delay, a holographic blue beam of light shot out of the R-Kit and began to scan the Pokéball back and forth. After a few short seconds, a drab-sounding, robotic voice came from the R-Kit. "Name: Fang! Species: Flareon! Registered trainer: Patrick Adelaide, ID LA-24522! Gender: Male! Height: 2'7''! Weight-"

"Not bad. One of our recent hires couldn't figure that thing out." he said as he held his hand out, expecting his Flareon returned to him. "I don't see why, R-Kits aren't all that difficult to use."

Andrea handed the Pokéball back and began to explore the other apps available to her. "I can see why people might be flustered when they first use one, there's a lot of stuff on here!"

"Just like the apps on a phone, most of it's garbage. The Catrianna Corporation is marketing those to scientists and engineers, why does it have an entire section on coordination strategies?"

"Maybe they're looking to expand their market soon?" she asked.

"Hmm, whatever the case..." He placed the wooden box back onto a shelf and closed the door to the storage room, then pointed down the hallway. "Just at the end of this hallway is what'll be your favorite room here once you get settled. Let's have a look."

Patrick pushed open the double doors and the two entered perhaps the largest room in the entire facility, the employee lounge. The entire room was brightly lit by the massive array of windows that flanked the northern and southern sides of the room, windows that offered a glimpse of Loch Alstan's skyline, and the murky lake the town was named after.

Throughout the room were comfy looking couches and chairs, circled around tables and television sets. Large art installations that depicted famous Pokémon such as Venusaur, Charizard and Blastoise were suspended from the rafters above them. Bookshelves were stuffed to the brim with all sorts of scientific publications. A solitary snooker table, host to a game that was already in progress, sat in the middle of the room.

At the far end of the room was an extensive cafeteria. About a dozen tables, all filled to capacity by chatting scientists and researchers, stood before the impressive array of on-site restaurants: the Mountain Rain Coffee Shop, Jackpot's Potato Shack, Shinikara Noodle, Gyroskope, Halfhill Market and the Crimson Crawdaunt.

"Oh boy, you have a Crimson Crawdaunt here?" Andrea asked. "I used to be a waitress at the one in Aughrim..."

Patrick nodded. "We do, and a lot of other options as you can see. Even international stuff. Dr. Reiland really spoils us." He motioned for her to follow and began to lead her along a long row of lockers that lined the wall beside them. "Let's get you a locker of your own. That way you don't have to lug that big ol' backpack with you everywhere you go."

It wasn't long before they found an unclaimed locker, #47. She waited patiently beside it as Patrick ran off to retrieve the key, and she took the time to study her fellow coworkers situated about the lounge. The atmosphere was warm and genial, as people of all ethnicities mingled together over a cup of coffee to discuss what they were working on, or share a laugh about stories of their personal lives.

As she waited, a young woman approached locker #45. As she unlocked it, she noticed Andrea waiting patiently and said, "Haven't seen you around here before. You new?"

Andrea nodded politely.

The young woman offered her hand out. "Welcome aboard. The name's Emily."

"Andrea," she said as she shook Emily's hand.

"So, which department are you with?" Emily asked as she opened her locker and dug around in it.

She shrugged. "I'm not sure yet, but it looks like I'll be in environmental research."

"I've always been curious about what happens over that way... I'm over in medical all the time, I hardly ever get to visit."

"Medical? Are you a doctor?"

"Not yet. Just a couple more months of hands on work and I will be, though!"

Patrick returned with the key to locker #27 and handed it to Andrea. He nodded respectfully towards Emily. "Look who it is! And you're not covered with blood this time!"

"Careful, I might get yours on me," she joked. "It was nice meeting you, Andrea, but I've gotta run." As she walked away, she called out, "Treat her better than the last one, Pat!"

Andrea turned to him with a look of confusion on her face. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Don't worry about it, Emmy and I go way back. We're always bustin' each other's balls." he said. "So... you hungry or anything?"

She shook her head as she inspected her brand new locker.

"I'm gonna grab some coffee. Why don't you have a seat and I'll be with you in a minute."

Andrea found a comfortable, empty couch to sit on and tried to take a moment to let the situation sink in. She struggled to focus her thoughts, but they buzzed about in her mind in a haphazard fashion. All she could think about was getting started, and she wondered what she'd be working on first.

A few minutes later, Patrick returned with two cups of steaming hot coffee and sat down next to her.

"Coffee?" he asked as he offered her a cup.

She politely declined. "No thanks."

"Even after walking through that ice cold rain out there?" He gently shook the cup again, filling the area with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. "C'mon, I went through the trouble to get it for ya."

She sighed as she accepted the coffee, even though she didn't like it. "I could use some warming up, I guess." Just a single, bitter sip was enough to send a shiver radiating throughout her entire body, something that Patrick found amusing.

"I think that's about it. Gave you a tour of the wing you'll be spending most of your time in... assigned you your locker and your R-Kit..." he said, trailing off. With the introduction over, he realized that he had very little else to talk about, and silence crept over the two as they awkwardly sipped at their coffee.

Not even a minute passed before Andrea was fed up with the silence. "So..." she started. "What do you think my first project will be?"

He took a moment to think. "That depends. Usually we have our new employees bounce between other peoples' projects, to see what they're best suited for. I'm thinking the same is going to apply in your case."

"Let me know what you need help with. That's why I'm here."

"You said something about wanting to solve problems. As luck would have it, one of the local farms has come to us with a problem that needs taken care of. Sooner rather than later, ideally." he said.

Her face lit up. "What are we dealing with?"

"You familiar with the Gates Dairy Farm? One of the largest dairy farms in the country, based in Nettlefield. It's not that far from here. Over the past few weeks, they've had nearly thirty of their Miltanks die of unknown causes, including their prize winner, Bessica. They're clueless, and they're worried that there's some sort of outbreak going through the herd. They want us to find the source of the problem."

Andrea took a moment to think of some obvious problems that could be affecting the farm. "Maybe the grain they're feeding the Miltanks is tainted somehow? Or maybe a virus?" she pondered. "We'd have to get a closer look, of course."

He nodded. "We would. I was going to head over there myself to see if I could figure it out. It'd be a good first project for you, I think. Not too demanding, not too frazzling, and it'll get you out into the field."

Her eyes glinted at the thought. "Sure! It'd be nice to get back to my rural roots for a change, I've been stuck in the big city for too long."

"Oh yeah? I think you'll like Nettlefield then, corn fields as far as the eye can see. A bit too boring for me, that's why I live here." He downed a big gulp of coffee before continuing. "I actually wanted to make the trip to the place right now, but since you're starting tomorrow-"

"How long do you think it should take to get there?" she asked.

"Before sunset most likely. It's not that far away."

"Let's get started, then!"

He tilted his head, confused by her enthusiasm. "You sure about that?"

She looked down at the table and sheepishly said, "I don't exactly have a roof over my head tonight..."

Patrick stared at her blankly for a second. "You're kidding, right?"

She shook her head. "I thought I'd be on my way back to Aughrim by now! I didn't think I'd get this job, if I'm honest..."

"You don't have a lot of faith in yourself, do you?" He took a minute to finish the last of his coffee, then continued. "Whatever the case, let's get started."


	3. Chapter 3: Remember, a Rose Has Thorns

Barely half an hour had passed since they left the warmth of the research center, and the cold had already begun to get the better of Andrea, but she refused to give up. She had been raised to give everything she had when it came to first impressions, and quitting so soon into her first real task would have reflected poorly on her work ethic. However, her burning desire to prove herself was only in her mind; she shivered uncontrollably as she huddled her arms together in an attempt to keep warm, but it did very little against the biting wind and the icy cold rain.

"Perhaps you should have brought a jacket?" Patrick asked. "Those clothes you're wearing look pretty thin. I mean, I can see your skin through your sleeves."

"It's May!" she shouted. "It's not supposed to be this cold!"

"Usually is, at least in our neck of the woods," he shrugged. "Cold mountain air always comes over the loch this time of the year."

She huddled her arms together as she groaned, "It was sunny and warm when I left Aughrim this morning..."

"Speaking of that, I'm curious... How often have you left that city? You ever get a chance to travel the roads?" he asked.

"No... My only real experience with the wilderness was when I visited a couple of beaches up in the northern reaches of Glastonfell for my studies."

"Really," he stated, clearly surprised. "Didn't you say you lived in a rural area before you attended university?"

She nodded. "I did, I grew up in Goldwheat."

"And you never tried to explore the countryside?"

"Of course not! I listened to my parents when they told me not to, and I'm glad I did. One of the village boys was put in a wheelchair by a feral Pokémon. The doctor said that he was lucky to survive."

"God damn..." he said. "Well, I was going to warn you about the dangers of travelling the countryside, but it sounds like you already know about them."

She nodded quietly.

"Don't worry, I'll keep us safe," he assured her. "I may not be the most capable trainer in the world, but I've got a powerful Pokémon at my command. He can usually handle himself, but let's hope that I don't have to use him."

As they rounded the bend in the road ahead of them, the skyline of Loch Alstan disappeared behind the trees. They had officially entered the wilds of Lanark. Despite the advancements of society and the rapid development of the country's urban centers, the wilderness felt as if it were untouched by human hands for thousands of years; aside from the winding cobblestone road that snaked its way through the foothills, nature was at its most pristine, unhindered state. Eventually, even the road ended at a sea of tall grass that fluttered about in the cold wind.

Patrick led her over to the tall and ragged grass. "Now comes the most annoying part of travelling on foot." he said as he looked up and down the wall of grass in front of him. His search for a way around the grass was met with failure, which prompted him to dive right in. "I hope that clothing of yours isn't too delicate, this grass can be a little sharp sometimes."

Andrea studied the grass with a grimace on her face. The grass reached up to her chest and was so thick that she couldn't see the ground underneath it. "You're kidding, right? The roads up in Glastonfell were never this bad."

"If you think this is bad, you should see the 'road' on the other side of Nettlefield."

She muttered quietly to herself as she took her first steps into the grass. "I hope there aren't any of those big bugs in here..."

It wasn't as bad as she first imagined. While she could feel the grass snagging against the delicate fabric of her stockings, it wasn't as sharp as Patrick warned. Even more, the grass wasn't as wet or cold as she expected, despite the gloomy weather. Most importantly, there wasn't a giant bug in sight, but that meant little considering she couldn't see through the thick blanket of tangled grass around her. Before they knew it, they had emerged on the other side of the grass.

"That was surprisingly uneventful," he commented.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You of all people should know that tall grass like this is the best spot for feral Pokémon as they either await their prey, or hide from their predators."

"I do know that!" she protested. "I also know that it's pretty damn cold out here. Combined with the rain, not many Pokémon will be out in the open if they can help it."

"A fair point..." he admitted. "You can never be too careful, though."

"I understand. I hear about it all the-"

Their conversation ended abruptly with a high pitched, bellowing sound that carried across the countryside. It didn't take long for either of the two to pinpoint the source of the noise: atop a rocky outcropping sat a stubby, black and grey elephant-like creature. Most of its body was a uniform, scaly grey, but a thick, black set of armored plates ran from the tip of its extensive trunk, across its back and ended at its short tail. Deadly looking curved tusks jutted from its mouth and a clear look of anger shined in its eyes.

Patrick held his arm out to slow Andrea down. "A Donphan..." he said. "Careful."

"What should we do?"

"Move slowly and maintain eye contact. Let it know that _we_ know that it's there."

"You sure that'll work?"

"It usually does. They're creatures of opportunity, they only strike when they know they have the upper hand."

In this instance, it didn't work. The Donphan pounded its padded foot into the ground and bellowed loudly, a universally understood signal that it was agitated and ready to attack. The attack was swift; it hopped into the air and curled up, protecting itself with its dense armor plating, then began to roll down the hill towards them.

"Look out!" Patrick shouted as he pulled Andrea out of harm's way.

The two tumbled to the ground as they narrowly avoided being bulldozed, while the Donphan roared past and slammed into a massive oak tree just off of the path. The trunk of the tree shattered from the force of the impact, sending the rest of it toppling with a booming thud.

Patrick responded quickly by helping Andrea to her feet. "Find somewhere to hide!" he shouted as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out his trusted Pokéball and tossed it into the air.

The Pokéball exploded with a burst of hissing flames and a slender, orange canine-like creature appeared in its place. Luxuriously bushy white fur formed a mane around the creature's neck and rested atop its head, and more covered its long tail. The Flareon dropped to the ground and readied itself for battle as it locked onto the Donphan.

"Fang, we need to overwhelm that thing quickly, before someone gets hurt!" Patrick ordered.

Fang immediately leapt to action and rushed over towards the fallen tree. He cautiously searched the area in an attempt to find the Donphan, but found it difficult to see through the fallen leaves and branches. His continued search yielded nothing; no movement, no sound, nothing out of place. It was almost as if the Donphan had simply vanished.

Patrick cautiously approached the downed tree, but remembered to keep his distance. "Find anything?"

Fang let out a deep growl as he paced around the tree.

"Maybe we should take the opportunity to leave?" Andrea suggested as she peered out from behind a large boulder.

Before they could react, the shrill cry of the Donphan echoed out again and the tree rustled with activity. It rolled out of the leaves and straight for Fang, hoping to catch him off guard. Fang, quick on his feet, managed to dodge the attack. He took in a deep breath and tracked the Donphan's movements, then let out a stream of flickering flames in its direction. The flames bounced off of and had little effect on the Donphan, who continued to roll about, tucked away in its protective armored shell.

"Keep it up, Fang!" Patrick ordered.

Fang continued his relentless gout of fire breath, but it seemed pointless. All he did was tire himself out while the Donphan shrugged off each attack. Instead, the Donphan was only getting started, with the speed and accuracy of its rolling attacks increasing with each miss. Even worse, the Donphan was becoming more and more unpredictable, bouncing between aiming for Fang and Patrick at random.

Patrick narrowly scrambled out of the way of the Donphan as it rolled straight at him, then picked himself up off of the ground. "Bloody hell..." he muttered. "Umm..."

"You need to find a way to get through that armor!" Andrea suggested.

"And how in the bloody hell are we going to do that?!" he shouted. "The bugger just keeps rolling!"

She took a moment to study her surroundings as she formulated a plan. She wanted to find a way to stop the Donphan from rolling around in its protective shell, and figured a good way to do so would be to knock it off its feet somehow. The tree that it had knocked over at the beginning of the fight gave her an idea; if it were to smash into something hard enough, perhaps enough time could be bought to seize the upper hand. The fallen boulder that she took cover behind seemed like it would do the trick. She left her hiding spot and rushed over towards Patrick, then pointed it out. "See that boulder? Perhaps if that thing smashes into it, it'll come out of its shell and your Flareon can actually do something useful."

He was skeptical of the plan. "You sure about that?"

"Yes! Do it!"

"You heard her, Fang!" Patrick called out. "In front of that rock, now!"

Fang followed the order without a second thought and positioned himself in front of the boulder. He kept a close eye on the rampaging Donphan, ready to move at a moment's notice. Exactly as planned, the Donphan began to circle around and aim for him, and with a swift leap to the side, he lured the Donphan right into the trap. A large crack formed down the center of the boulder as the Donphan smashed directly into it. Andrea's plan proved effective; the Donphan uncurled and wobbled about, dazed by the impact.

"Now, Fang!" Patrick ordered.

Fang let loose a stream of white hot fire in the Donphan's direction and was absolutely merciless with his attack. As the flames burned into the exposed underside of the Donphan, its hostile nature shifted towards terror, and it spared no energy in an attempt to escape. Fang pursued relentlessly, maintaining both his laser-like focus and his burning breath of flames on the escaping Donphan.

"Stop, that's enough!" He raised his hand and the fire subsided, then took a moment to catch his breath. "That... that could have gone really, really badly. Those things are vicious when they're pissed!"

"I'm just glad it's gone..." Andrea said as she searched her surroundings for more trouble. "Let's keep moving, I don't want to see that thing again."

Patrick nodded. "Yeah, come on." He motioned forward and called out, "Fang, lead the way. Keep us safe, ya hear?"

It was much more cautious journey for the two after that. Chatter was kept to a minimum. Every small movement in the roadside bushes or in the trees was scrutinized. They kept within an arm's reach of Fang, who led the two forward quickly. Neither of them hoped for it, but both Patrick and Andrea were ready for the Donphan to return, only this time with friends. As the landscape changed from rocky hills to open field, however, the possibility of that began to diminish, and the aura of worry dissipated as they continued on towards Nettlefield.

"Not bad back there, by the way," Patrick commented.

"Hunh?" Andrea asked.

"That strategy of yours... I didn't even think of something like that."

"Oh! Uhh... Why, was that good?"

He couldn't tell if she was downplaying the praise or truly clueless. "Hell yeah, that was incredible! I know you aren't a trainer, but you ever spectate any of the top tier competitive stuff? You know, like the Rose Conference finals or anything like that?"

She shook her head. "I'd catch a match every now and then when there was nothing else on TV, but I never paid much attention to it."

"Ah, a shame. You seem like you'd be good at it. Looks like you already know a thing or two."

She stopped in her tracks and their eyes met. "If your intent is to get me to embrace the idea of becoming a trainer, you can stop right now. It doesn't interest me, it's that simple. Besides... it's too much responsibility."

"Oh, no! Nothin' meant by it, lassie!" he said. "Just making some observations, that's our job after all!"

A smile crept across her face as she giggled. "Let's just keep moving."

* * *

It was nearly sunset by the time that Andrea and Patrick had reached the outskirts of Nettlefield. As they pressed onward, darkness threatened to envelope them before they even reached the center of the village. They knew they wouldn't be able to get started on the task at hand, so the subject of lodging came up between them; much to Andrea's relief, Patrick informed her that they already had a room reserved for them at the Roost, Nettlefield's only motel. Even better, she wouldn't have to pay a cent, as Dr. Reiland's staff had already covered the cost beforehand.

"Standard procedure for all official business, you'll be happy to hear." he explained.

Her joy quickly faded when they arrived at the Roost. The place had certainly seen better days. Half of the neon sign that announced its presence to the world was broken off and missing, with the remaining half barely functional. The once pristine white paint that adorned the sides of the building was worn and peeling off. The windows were filthy and looked as if they hadn't been washed in nearly a year, and thick weeds sprouted from the foundation of the building. At the very least, the staff who managed the motel were friendly and accommodating as they pointed them to their room.

As they entered, the first thing that hit them was the overpowering stench of mildew that wafted towards the door. Andrea covered her nose with her hand. "Eww, gross!" she shouted. "It smells like a gym locker in here!"

Patrick was unphased by it. "Yeah... it's pretty bad... But I've been in worse." he said as he ventured further into the room. "You'll get used to it before the night's over."

She studied the wall beside her and noticed the dark splotches that were spreading up the water-damaged wall. "I don't think so."

"Trust me, you will," he said as he dropped his backpack onto a table. "I'd hate to say it, but we could be here awhile. We could get lucky and figure out the problem within a few hours, but it's more likely that we'll be stuck here for a few days while we work out what's happening at that farm."

"There's mold growing on the walls!" she protested.

"Yeah, I can see it. If you want to camp outside, be my guest, but at least it's warm in here." he said. He realized his words meant very little as he watched her timidly inspect the room, so he tried to reassure her. "This is part of the job, Andrea. You're not at your university anymore. When you're out in the field doing real work, there is no sterilized lab, no properly maintained dorm room to return to at night. This is the real world, and unfortunately it's not all that great sometimes, so you have to make do with what you've got."

She sighed as she tried to put the room out of her mind. "I guess... I still have a lot to learn, don't I..."

He wandered over to the couch in the corner of the room and gave it a swift kick. The cushions lurched upward and then outward, exposing a mattress that sprawled across the floor. "If it makes you feel any better, you've got the bed tonight. This'll do for me."

"I still don't see why we couldn't get separate rooms," she commented as she sat down on the bed. Much to her surprise, it was nice and soft, perhaps the only appealing thing about the room.

He crashed onto the couch and tried to get comfortable. "Dr. Reiland runs a tight ship, and one of the corners she cuts in order to keep all of our projects funded is stuff like this."

"That's not the most reassuring thing to hear..." she muttered. "But I guess I won't be on the road much..."

"Hopefully not. It's true, we do a lot of field work, but most of our employees spend a majority of their time at the lab."

"Most?" she asked.

"That's why I said that you should get used to it. You never know when you'll be out of town." he said. "Well, I'm hoping to get an early start tomorrow, so I'm gonna get some shut eye. You'd be wise to do the same."


	4. Chapter 4: A Grim Task

_**Author's note:**_ _I feel compelled to issue a warning about this chapter, due to how uncomfortable it made me to write it. If you're squeamish about the idea of characters performing a post mortem analysis of a deceased Pokémon, feel free to gloss over the middle section of the chapter. You'll know when you find it._

"Cuckawwwww! Cuckawwwww!"

The crowing of a rooster, a sound that Andrea hadn't heard in nearly five years. For the first sixteen years of her life, it signaled the start of a new day, and just like the old days, it served the same purpose once more. Despite the terrible condition of the room, she felt well rested as she rolled out of bed. She wandered over to the window and peaked through the tattered blinds; the golden glow of the rising sun bathed the area with welcoming warmth, and not a cloud was visible in the sky.

Patrick, on the other hand, looked as if he hadn't slept a wink the entire night. His bright red hair was an utter mess and dark bags rested under his eyes. He placed his hand on his forehead in a failed attempt at relieving his suffering, and a stream of obscenities flowed through his mind like a river. " _This bloody god damn room. There should be laws against this._ " he thought.

"You look terrible..." she commented.

"Nothing's changed, then," he said in attempt to inject some humor into his suffering. He groaned heavily as he sat up. "How'd you sleep?"

"Well enough, I think."

"No, _how_?" he asked, then remembered the speech he gave the previous night about making do with what he had. He stumbled to his feet and tried to put on a stoic face. "Ready to get started?"

She crossed her arms as she gave him a glaring look. "Are _you_?"

"I'll just be a little tired, that's all," he said. "Maybe breakfast and some fresh air will wake me up."

* * *

Breakfast passed by quickly and uneventfully. Both ordered the same thing: cinnamon-seasoned toast drenched in butter alongside a generous helping of sugary apple chutney, further complimented with scrambled eggs and two strips of bacon. Andrea ate like a queen, as her usual meals over the past four years, be they breakfast, lunch or dinner, were rarely anything other than the blandest and most tasteless ramen imaginable. Such was the price of progress, she always told herself, and that she should be happy she had even that. Patrick, on the other hand, was less enthusiastic about it and couldn't even finish his meal.

With breakfast out of the way, the two started their day with the short walk across town towards the Gates Dairy Farm. The dairy farm was larger than either had expected. Both knew that it was one of the largest in the country, but they were surprised to see how just expansive it was. An impressive array of pipes, wires, machinery and storage tanks, a small factory in its own right, were the hallmark at the center of the property. As they approached, they passed by the Miltank pasture. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary; the 250-member herd grazed peacefully on the muddy grass, blissfully unaware of the fate that potentially awaited them.

"Look at 'em all..." Patrick commented.

One of the creatures approached the fence as they passed by and mooed loudly to grab their attention. The Miltank was covered from head to toe in filthy and gnarled pink fur, with dozens of black spots, speckles and stripes adorning its massive, rotund body. Two blunted horns sat atop its black head, and its deep blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight as it awaited their attention.

Andrea couldn't contain herself as she passed by. "Awww! Aren't you just adorable!?" she squealed as she offered her hand out. "Look at how pretty you are!" She quickly devolved into gibberish as she patted and rubbed the overjoyed Miltank all over.

Patrick looked as if he was dying of the plague as he watched the two. "Dr. Reiland was right... you _shouldn't_ judge a book by its cover..."

She turned around and stared a hole into him. "What was that?"

"Nothing, nevermind," he said.

The sound of hooves racing across the dirt crept up behind them. As they turned around, a large, white equine creature was blazing towards them with blurring speed. A thick mane of gorgeous, fiery red hair ran down its neck, across its back and down its tail. Atop the creature was a rugged looking man, adorned from top to bottom with tattered and patched denim clothing, complete with a bright white felt cowboy hat.

"Easy, easy!" the man shouted as he pulled back on the horse's reins. The creature came to an abrupt stop and circled around as the man studied the two with a critical and sharp glare. "May I help you?"

"We're looking for the owner of the farm," Patrick said.

"That'd be me," he said with a polite nod and an offer of his hand. A thick, rural drawl hung over his words, yet there was the unmistakable charm of a country gentleman surrounding him. "Dennis Gates, I run this place. Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Patrick shook his hand and immediately felt the crushing grip of a vice. "I'm Patrick Adelaide," he said before he motioned towards Andrea. "And this is my assistant, Andrea Dennison."

"Hi," she quietly chirped as she shook his hand.

"Dr. Reiland sent us to investigate the problem with your herd."

"Oh, good! You're here earlier than I expected!" Mr. Gates said with excitement. His demeanor shifted rapidly, marked with a sigh. "Poor girls... I just don't know what's been going on with them."

Patrick nodded. "That's what we're here for. I have to warn you, it could take some time for us to figure this out, but we will. We have a few early ideas... My assistant is thinking it might be a problem with the cattle feed?"

"The feed, you say?" Mr. Gates scratched his chin in thought, then shook his head. "I don't know 'bout that. Problem's only come up in the past two weeks, and we've had that feed since the harvest last year."

"It wouldn't hurt to look, would it?" she quietly asked.

"'spose not. I'll take you to the main storage silo. Something could'a happened to it a couple weeks ago." He dismounted from his steed and patted her on the side. "You head back to the stable, ya hear? I'm going to show our guests around." The Ponyta neighed loudly and began to trot away as Mr. Gates led Andrea and Patrick deeper into the farm.

"What do you use to feed them?" Patrick asked.

"Oh, you know, all sorts of stuff. Wheat chaff, grass clippings, soy beans, corn... I see 'em pickin' at the nettles on the stone walls on the edge of the pasture all the time, too."

"Nettles? How long has that been going on?"

"Since I was your age, son."

"I doubt they're the problem, then."

Mr. Gates shrugged. "I'm not convinced it's a problem with their diet. If it were, I'd probably have lost a lot more of them by now."

* * *

It was a quick journey to the grain silo that sat at the heart of the Miltank pasture. Along the way, they questioned Mr. Gates about the day to day happenings on the farm. He hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary in the weeks leading up to the first Miltank's death two weeks ago, or anything since. When asked about the other Pokémon kept on the farm, Mr. Gates informed them that the problem had only been plaguing the Miltank herd. What they learned wasn't useful for figuring out what was happening, but it did help them to narrow down a few early theories.

Mr. Gates unlocked the maintenance hatch on the silo and swung it open. The musky smell of damp, old wheat billowed out into the field. "I don't know what you're gonna look for, but have at it." he said.

Patrick patted Andrea's shoulder. "I'm gonna let you handle this one, Andrea."

Anxiety bubbled to the surface as she looked at him imploringly. "M-me? All alone?"

"Yeah. I want to see if you can figure this out. If you start feeling like you're in over your head, let me know. I'll give you a hand."

"I think you're making a mistake, but I'll try," she said as she grabbed two big handfuls of the cattle feed and dropped it onto the table beside her. "Let's see..." she muttered to herself as she brought up the Accu-Scan app on her R-Kit. She clicked through the various options until she found a physical data scan and began the process. Just as before, a holographic beam shot out of the top of the R-Kit and began to scan the grain in a rapid orderly fashion.

"Working..." the R-Kit said in a robotic voice. "Compound mixture detected. Displaying detected components: 67% wheat, 17% corn, 10% grass, 6% soy protein. Further details can be found below." An impressive array of information about the cattle feed appeared on the screen, though a majority of it was useless to her investigation. She scrolled through the mountains of data looking for anything that, to her, looked out of the ordinary. Eventually she came to something that seemed useful:

 _MICROBES PRESENT: N/A_  
 _MICROBE WARNINGS: N/A_  
 _FUNGI PRESENT: Trace amounts detected, thorough lab analysis required._  
 _FUNGI WARNINGS: N/A_  
 _TOXINS PRESENT: N/A_  
 _TOXIN WARNINGS: N/A_  
 _CHEMICALS PRESENT: Somatotropin_  
 _CHEMICAL WARNINGS: Somatotropin_

"Somatotropin?" she asked. "That sounds familiar, but I can't quite remember..."

"Growth hormone. Ya know, put a little extra milk in the udder." Mr. Gates answered. "There's a lot of them... hippie types... they say it's bad for the cows, but it's perfectly harmless, far as I know."

She continued to scroll through the data, but nothing stood out. "Maybe I was wrong... Any ideas, Patrick?"

"Can we take a look at one of the recently deceased Miltanks, Mr. Gates? We might find something useful."

"Sure can! We've had most of them hauled away, but we had another pass overnight... Come along, she's in the barn. I'll take you to her."

Andrea turned to Patrick and objected quietly. "You're not serious, are you?"

"You did ask for ideas, right?"

She quietly shook her head, then sighed.

"Don't blame ya if you're a little squeamish 'bout it, missy. If it's any consolation, you'll have the freshest one to work with."

* * *

"Here she is, the most recent one," Mr. Gates said as he knelt down beside a deceased Miltank that was slumped over a pile of hay. Despite his assurances of it having recently passed, a horde of buzzing insects were already at work, and the stench of decay hung heavily in the air. "She looked healthy last night... Then when one of my ranchers came in this morning? She was gone."

Patrick shook his head as he looked at the deceased Miltank. "Hopefully she didn't suffer much. Let's get started." he said.

Mr. Gates tipped his hat. "You need a hand with anything, you give me a shout. I've got some Mareep to check in on."

"Thank you, Mr. Gates," he said with a polite nod. He knelt down beside the Miltank and began to give it a closer inspection, then looked up towards Andrea, who had kept a sizeable distance. "I'm going to need a hand with this."

"I... I don't know about this..." she started. "This is..."

"It's gross, I know," he answered back. "I can think of ten thousand things I'd rather be doing right now, but... are you going to help or not?"

She sighed, took a deep breath, blocked her nasal passages, then timidly approached the Miltank. Her preparation was almost useless, as the smell still forced its way into her nostrils. She dropped to her knees and slowly rolled up her sleeves, trying to put off what she was about to do for as long as possible. "W-what should I... I never..." she sheepishly bleated.

"I guess this is more medical than biology, huh..." he said. Truth be told, he didn't know what to do either. "Let's just give 'er the once over, see if something looks suspicious." He pointed towards the Miltank's head. "Try to lift her head up."

She thought carefully about how to proceed with his request. Worried about irking an increasingly impatient Patrick, she bit her lip and dug her left arm between the Miltank's head and the hay that it was resting on. The creature's head was massive and surprisingly heavy, forcing her to lift with her right arm as well. She tried her hardest to ignore everything around her and gazed up towards the rafters of the barn. Patrick slid his finger into the Miltank's mouth and lifted its upper lip. A blast of noxious air escaped the creature's mouth and was nearly enough to make her sick.

"Nothing seems out of the ordinary..." he commented as he inspected the creature's mouth. 32 well-worn molars, divided into sets of eight, rested within healthy looking gums. "Alright, you can put her down now."

She weezed heavily in an attempt to catch her breath as she let the creature's head go.

He let out a chuckle. "This is the side of science they don't tell you about in school."

"I really wish they did," she said. "If I knew that I'd be doing this one day, I'd have focused on that softball career instead."

He peeled back the Miltank's flap-like ear and began to study it for any potential irregularities. "Softball, huh?" he asked. "Were you any good at it?"

She shrugged. "It got me a scholarship, at least. They took it away after the first year, though... I never did join the team. I focused on my degree instead."

"I think you made the right choice. Softball isn't that big in this country... Besides, a career like this could be lifelong. People who get into sports are lost when they have to retire."

The small talk helped to ease Andrea's nerves. She still found the work she was doing to be utterly detestable, but she also found it easier to cut through her apprehension. "Find anything?"

He shook his head as he dropped the ear. "Nothing."

"What next?" she asked, in the hopes that they were done.

He grabbed a large tuft of the Miltank's fur and began to dig his fingers through it. "We're going to have to start digging deeper."

"Let's just get this over with, then..." she mumbled as she did the same.

"That's the spirit!"

Minute after agonizing minute passed by as they dug through the Miltank's pink fur. Each tug of the fur release more and more of the horrid smell, and for nothing; they weren't even sure of what they were looking for, but whatever it was, they weren't finding it. Patrick mused at the idea of returning to Loch Alstan and dragging the medical assistant they had met at the research center along for the job, but only as a last resort if they couldn't find anything themselves.

Just as they were about ready to give up, Andrea found a particularly unsightly white blister hidden beneath the Miltank's matted fur. A thick, syrupy substance that was lavender in color oozed from it. "Ewww... what is that?"

Patrick perked up. "What is what?"

She pointed out the blister. "This thing... Let me look for more of these."

"I think you might have found what we're looking for."

It didn't take long before she found similar blisters all across the Miltank's body, hidden from sight just below its fur. They all looked identical to the first.

"Now to figure out what the hell this is..."

The blisters looked vaguely familiar to her. "Where have I seen this before..." she murmured. "I remember... reading about something... second year's ecology unit..."

"What is it?"

She raised her R-Kit and began to flip through the apps. "During my second year of university, we focused a lot on the delicate balance of ecosystems across the world. I remember reading about something... I can't remember its name!" she shouted. "It was some sort of fungal infection brought on by contact with toxic spores, I remember that much."

He shrugged, unsure of what she was talking about.

"This thing is able to categorize Pokémon species by subtype, right?" she asked as tapped away at her R-Kit.

"It can," he said with a smile. "Sounds like you're onto something."

"I'm probably completely wrong," she said. A lengthy list of thousands of Pokémon appeared on the screen, far too many for her to sort through in an efficient manner. She filtered the list selectively based on what she remembered: a fungal Pokémon that thrived in a forest habitat. To her relief, the new list was only twenty-three entries long. She began to whisper to herself as she scrolled through the list. "No... no... that's not it either... is that... no... Ah! I think this is what I'm remembering! Blastcap!"

"Never heard of it."

"Blastcap, the Toxplosion Pokémon!" the R-Kit's voice began to drone. "Blastcap is a colony Pokémon composed of many parts. Unlike other colony Pokémon such as Dugtrio or Exeggcute which operate in hivemind-like groups, all of the thought processes and decision making happen in the largest mushroom, while the rest focus on nutrient gathering, defense and exploration. When a Blastcap reaches the end of its adult life, it erupts with a cloud of spores that spread through the area and settle on dead or dying trees. These spores then spread their roots and a new colony forms."

"It's a prime example of why a species shouldn't be introduced to a new environment," she said. She began to read from the information that her R-Kit displayed about the creature:

 _Blastcap is a species that is native to the jungles of the Mangada region's Andalla Basin, though it has a worldwide range today. In many areas, it is seen as an aggressive invasive species, due to a lack of natural predators and its reproductive methods. While there is no solid consensus as to how Blastcap was introduced to other areas, many biologists point towards the sharp rise in international trade that the Mangada region initiated in the 1940s as a likely cause, a sentiment backed up by numerous historians._

 _. . ._

 _The first reports of Blastcaps within Lanark were made in 1957, when several colonies were discovered in the forests north of Steelport. By 1963, the Blastcap infestation had reached peak levels as it made its way north into the heartland. In the following year, several thousand acres of farmland were overrun by Blastcap colonies, being the main contributing factor to the Goldwheat Famine, which claimed the lives of about 20,000 people and Pokémon. Blastcap's presence was officially declared a national emergency, and an extensive campaign spearheaded by the newly founded Ministry of Wildlife aimed to contain the Blastcap population. On January 1st, 1967, the Ministry declared its campaign a success, with the last reported sighting of a Blastcap in the autumn of 1966._

"And what does any of that have to do with this Miltank?" he asked.

She continued to read from the R-Kit:

 _While interactions between Blastcaps and other species of Pokémon are poorly documented, recent evidence suggests that the spores it releases during its reproductive cycle are highly toxic to certain other species that are not found within its native range. in 1992, researchers in Kalos linked Blastcap spores to an outbreak at a Pokémon daycare facility that killed eight and left dozens crippled and chronically ill. The outbreak, termed 'White Pox' due to the appearance of numerous white pustules on the afflicted, was limited to Stantlers, Swinubs, Linoones, Zangooses, Tauri and the lone Slakoth at the facility, none of which share a natural range with Blastcaps._

 _However, other Pokémon at the facility that shared historic ranges with the Blastcap were completely unaffected. Theories about evolutionary acquired defenses to the toxic effects of the spores have been put forward by various researchers and ecologists, but there is no concrete evidence to back these theories at this time._

"But that doesn't make sense," he suggested. "Why would something like that be happening when Blastcap hasn't been seen in this country in decades?"

"Do you have any idea how difficult it is to completely eradicate an invasive species?" she asked. "The Ministry may have said their program was a success, but there's no way to be certain that they completely wiped it out, especially in a country this large." She adjusted the settings on her R-Kit and began to scan one of the blisters with it. "Perhaps I can prove my theory..."

"If you're right about this, we have a bigger problem than a few dead cows."

It took a moment for the R-Kit to complete its analysis. "Significant concentrations of fungal spores of unknown origin detected. A more detailed lab analysis will be required to determine a source." it droned.

"Is there any way we can figure this out without going back to the lab?" she asked. "Can this thing scan more effectively?"

"Unfortunately not, this isn't some science fiction television program," he said. He scratched his chin in thought as he thought about what to do next. "What kind of environment does this thing live in? Maybe we can look for it before we think about heading back to Loch Alstan."

"It says here that they're found in forests and swamps for the most part."

"A swamp, huh? There's one north of town. Want to check it out?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I'm dressed for a hike through a swamp."

"If you want to stay here and hang out with the dead cow, that's cool."

"No!" she protested. "A swamp sounds fine when you put it that way..."


	5. Chapter 5: An Invasive Threat

"Are you sure we won't get lost?" Andrea asked.

Patrick wanted to reassure her, but he honestly wasn't sure. They had been walking through the murky swamp north of Nettlefield for nearly an hour. They initially followed a well-marked trail into the reed-choked thicket, but that had ended long ago. They were in the center of uncharted wilderness, surrounded on all sides by cloudy water, muddy islands and densely packed rows of tall, featureless trees. Between the low hanging branches, the tangled grasses and the snagging brambles, fighting through the vegetation was a constant and carefully fought battle.

"What exactly do these Blastcap things look like?" Patrick asked.

She revisited the Blastcap article and studied the photographs that accompanied it. "There's two parts of it. The central colony is a dense cluster of red, orange or yellow and white speckled mushrooms... And then there's the outlying parts of the colony, which looks similar to lichen, mostly rusty brown or orange in color." she said. "You haven't seen any of that, have you?"

He shook his head. "Not a damn thing. This whole swamp is completely devoid of life, it feels like."

"At least I've been hearing a few birds. Keep in mind, it's still a little cold out here."

"Ehh... maybe. I just don't like it being this silent. I've seen enough horror movies to-"

"Don't even!" she chastised aggressively. "Let's just focus on what we came here for, okay?"

"My apologies," he said.

As they continued along, Andrea began to realize just how little of a plan they had, and it made her very uncomfortable. "Do you know what we're going to do if we find this Blastcap that's been causing all this trouble?"

"Not a clue."

She stopped in her tracks and was ready to scream. "Are you kidding me?!" she roared. "You lectured me about the dangers of entering the wilderness unprepared, and now you're saying you don't have a plan?"

"We're prepared. We've got food, water, first aid supplies, a Pokémon to protect us, and eight hours of sunlight." he said in an effort to ease her nerves. "Besides, it's a mushroom we're dealing with. How bad could it be?"

"It would be a good idea to-" she rapidly shot off before she stopped herself. "Sorry. I can get a little impatient sometimes. I've dealt with a lot of idiots in the past-"

"Are you saying I'm an idiot, then?"

"No! No, it's nothing like that. I just... I'm a little worried. Swamps scare the hell out of me, so much can go wrong in them if you're not careful."

He wrapped his arm around her and brought her in closer for a light hug. "I've got your back, nothing is going to happen to you while I'm by your side. You can count on that."

She forced his way out of his grip. She had a hard time believing him, but decided to accept his words regardless.

"We're just here to find the source of the problem, and if we can, deal with it as well. If we can't, we'll find someone who can. Does that sound like a plan?"

"I guess..."

"Good! Let's carry on, then!"

Eventually they found something that was very out of place within a swamp. Thick, orange sludge had coagulated on top of the water, with more dripping down from the trees. Andrea wandered over to one of the trees to get a closer look; the faint sound of hissing and intermittent bubbling came from the branches. In the distance, a branch crumbled and fell to the water below, landing with an audible splat as it collided with the sludge. She instinctively backed away from the tree and put as much distance as she could between it and her. It wasn't just that single tree that was covered in goo, either; a large chunk of the surrounding swampland was bathed in various shades of orange and brown.

"This looks... bad..." Patrick gawked.

"I think that's the understatement of the century..." she added as she raised her R-Kit. Scans of the sludge that rested atop the water indicated that it had a relatively neutral pH balance of 6.7, something that she found odd. It looked as if the goo was eating away at the tree as if it were some sort of powerful acid, yet it wasn't. "What in the world is this stuff?"

"I'm going to take some back to the lab, get a closer look at it." Patrick reached into his backpack and dumped what little was left of his water bottle, then carefully scooped some of the goo into it. "Before we do that, let's try to find where this stuff is coming from. That Blastcap can't be far."

"Are... are you sure we're prepared for this?" she asked. "This seems a little out of our league."

"We'll be fine. Come along."

More time passed. They intended to circle the affected swampland, but they quickly realized the scope of what they were dealing with. In the half hour that they had been walking in nearly a straight line, there weren't any signs of the environment around them changing for the better. The two bickered for a moment about what to do; Andrea urged caution and wanted to return to town to formulate a proper plan for what to do, while Patrick insisted that they scout the environment out and study it closely to help them better plan the best course of action.

Having reached an impasse, Patrick decided to take matters into his own hands and took a few brave steps into the sludgy water. The filthy water soaked into his boots and was oddly warm to the touch. He motioned for Andrea to follow, which she did after much hesitation.

"This is so gross..." she started. "You owe me new shoes after this. And some new stockings, too. These will never come clean..."

He bellowed with laughter. "Everything's gross to you, isn't it? Bugs, dead cows, murky water. Which has been the worst so far?"

"Definitely the cow..."

He took a moment to let his surroundings sink in. "I don't get it... How can a Pokémon be this destructive? It doesn't seem possible. It doesn't seem _natural_."

"I couldn't say," she said. She grabbed her phone and began to snap pictures of the swamp with it. From the decaying trees to the bubbling orange sludge, she began to reconsider her initial theory about what had been plaguing the Miltank herd. "I might be wrong about this, you know. I'm pretty sure we found what we're looking for, but this seems like something far worse than a simple mushroom infestation."

"Speaking of, we haven't even seen any of the bloody things yet!" he commented.

They continued their trek through the swampland, but very little changed as they ventured deeper in. The overwhelming shades of bright orange began to give both of them headaches, and the rank air did little to alleviate their suffering. Frustration began to set in as they slogged onward through the muck, all for naught; no mushrooms or lichen were found, their feet were growing sore, and a cold afternoon wind had begun to blow between the trees.

Patrick rolled up the sleeve of his jacket and revealed a blue R-Kit unit on his wrist. He tapped at the screen and set an alarm with it. "Fifteen more minutes, and then we turn around. That sound fine?"

"Hold on a second... Do you see that log over there?" She pointed towards a fallen log that was submerged in the water in a clearing beside them. The log was spinning gently in place.

"What about it?"

"Wait for it..." she said as she watched the log. As the log spun some more, a glob of moss-covered material clung to the side of it. Upon closer examination, the moss appeared to be choking a cluster of mushrooms. At last, they had found what they were looking for!

"Well bugger me, we found it," he said with a laugh. "Let's get a closer look at it."

As they carefully approached the cluster of mushrooms that rested on the log, eyes resting atop the largest cap opened! They kept their distance, as they were unsure of how the creature would react. At the very least, it would have difficulty reaching them if it tried to defend itself somehow. The water around them rippled with movement before the sunken log began to slowly rise out of the murky water. A vaguely humanoid looking figure began to take shape as the creature stood taller and taller; moss covered wood formed the core of its body, with root-like tendrils making up its arms and legs. Small red and orange mushrooms sprouted almost evenly across the wooden figure.

She jumped in fright and hid behind Patrick as the creature rose from the water. "What the fuck is that thing?!"

"A big problem," he said as he shielded Andrea.

She began to scan the creature with her R-Kit. She wasn't sure what it was; the large mushroom at the top certainly looked like the various pictures of a Blastcap that she'd seen earlier in the day, but its ability to actually move about wasn't mentioned anywhere in the article about it. "Since when are those things mobile?"

"Unknown species detected. Caution is advised while in its presence." the R-Kit said in a robotic voice.

"Unknown species?" Patrick asked. "This thing _isn't_ a Blastcap?"

The ground shook and the water churned as the swamp creature lumbered forward with uneven and wobbly steps. As it continued forward, green light began to glow within the twisted tendrils at the end of its extended arm, and a giant root-like spike shot upward out of the water just a few feet in front of them.

"Stay back!" He ordered as he reached into his pocket and grabbed his Flareon's Pokéball. With a forceful toss into the air, the ball exploded into a cloud of flickering flames and Fang appeared. Fang dropped into the knee-high water with an audible splash. "It's cleanup time, Fang! Focus your fire on the largest mushroom at the top!"

Fang found it difficult to carry out the order due to the water around him. Despite it only being knee-high for Andrea and Patrick, it reached up to his mane and he had difficulty keeping his head above the water. Tried as he might, he could do little more than flounder hopelessly. The creature simply ignored Fang and continued to lumber towards Andrea and Patrick.

"This isn't going to work..." he said. He turned to Andrea and pointed out one of the largest trees that jutted from the water. "Take cover behind that tree. Fang! We need to lure this thing to some high ground."

The two went in different directions; Andrea rushed towards the tree and put it between herself and the creature, while Patrick slogged through the water in an attempt to reach some dry land. The creature slowly followed him, once again raising its arm towards the sky. It teetered backwards, then threw its full weight forward, nearly stumbling in the process. A long and flexible vine shot out of the creature's arm and wrapped around Patrick's waist, and he didn't get much further before the vine had reached its limit. With a forceful tug, the creature knocked him off of his feet.

Andrea watched in horror as her partner was dragged through the muddy water. She thought as quickly as she could of a possible way to to intervene and looked around her, but all she could find were a few waterlogged pieces of wood. She grabbed the chunks of wood and began to throw them in the direction of the creature in an attempt to distract it. Most of them fell short, but the ones that struck the beast only bounced off to no effect.

"I don't think that's going to work!" he shouted as the creature slowly reeled him in. In a last ditch effort, he grabbed ahold of the vine and sank his teeth into it. He snarled as he tried his best to shred it, but it did very little against the hardened surface of the vine. "Could really use a hand right about now, Fang!"

Andrea refused to sit by and watch what was unfolding. With Fang hopelessly outmatched by the environment, she reasoned that it fell to her to save the day. She took a moment to calm her nerves and steady her thoughts, then charged towards Patrick's location. She dashed through the water as fast as she could, almost appearing to run on top of it at times.

"What are you doing, get outta here! Save yourself!" he gestured wildly as he fought against the vine some more.

"I'm not leaving without you!" she shouted as she put her hands to work. The vine was wrapped around Patrick's waist numerous times, but no knot held it in place. She struggled against the crushing grip of the vine, and little by little, she made progress in unwrapping it from around him. Second by second passed as the creature drew closer, until she eventually freed him from its grasp. Arm in arm, the two scrambled for safety. "We can't take this thing on! We need to leave!"

He growled as he eyed the creature, still pursuing them. He reached for his Pokéball and gripped it tightly. "I've got one last idea..."

"No! No more ideas, we're leaving!" she said as she nearly yanked his arm off.

He spotted Fang desperately struggling against the water and aimed his Pokéball carefully. A red beam of light shot out of the center button and ended on Fang's head. Fang's motion stopped on a dime and his body began to fade with a red glow, then deform into an amorphous blob of energy as he was recalled back into the Pokéball. With his Flareon safely returned, he waited a few precious seconds, then dropped the Pokéball to the ground. The ball exploded and released Fang once more.

Fang rushed towards the edge of the water and zeroed in on the central mushroom that rested atop the wooden creature. Flames began to flicker across his fur as he readied himself for an attack by taking in a deep breath.

"Give it all you've got!" he ordered.

The surrounding area heated up rapidly to sweltering temperatures as a torrent of blazing fire erupted from Fang's mouth. Andrea's vision faded to white as a wide arc of burning flames swept across the swamp and before long, the hissing sound of boiling water began to overwhelm their sense of hearing. The attack was over in a few short seconds, and their senses had returned a short time after that. All that remained of the creature was a charred lump of wood. The trees in the surrounding area had been blackened by the attack, but none appeared to have caught fire. Fang had fallen over and struggled to return to his feet, completely exhausted from the powerful attack.

Patrick tumbled to the muddy ground as he caught his breath. "Bloody hell... that... was too close." He looked towards Andrea and motioned for her to approach. She knelt down and tried to look him over for any injuries, but he wouldn't allow it. Instead, he grappled her with a forceful hug. "Thanks for not leaving me... That took a lot of guts, what you did... You okay?"

"How do people deal with this shit?" she asked.

"It's wild, isn't it?" he asked as he flopped over. "This is an exception to the rule... I've been doing this for nine long years, and this is the first time I've ever run into real trouble like that."

Her attention drifted to Fang, who was wheezing loudly, heavily and rapidly. She crawled over to him and gave him a quick inspection, but she couldn't find any obvious cuts or scrapes on him. "Is he going to be okay?"

Patrick pulled himself up to his feet and grabbed his Pokéball. "He'll be fine, he just needs some time to recharge." As he recalled his Flareon, he asked, "What do you think? Did we take care of the problem?"

"I sincerely hope so."

He wandered up to the charred remains of the creature that had attacked them and knelt down for a closer look. As he ran his finger across the scorched wood, he noticed that a large chunk of it had been turned to ash. "Well, _this_ one certainly won't be a problem. There's not much left."

"Pardon me for asking a stupid question, but..."

"There are no stupid questions."

"Did you really have to... you know... kill it? I mean... yeah, i-it was attacking-" she stumbled. "It was still a living, intelligent creature. It didn't deserve that."

He stood up and kicked at the ground. "It's a fuzzy line, sometimes, and you have to be willing to cross it if the situation demands it." he said. "You saw what that thing was capable of, and what it's been doing to those poor Miltanks. If we left it here, there's no telling what damage it could have caused."

She sighed and shook her head, then took a few steps out into the still-warm water. "What do we do now? It looks like half of this swamp is infected, and there could be more of those things out there."

"I'm going to listen to your advice for once. We'll let someone more qualified handle this. We did what we could, but this is beyond our capabilities." He patted her on the back, then began the journey back to Nettlefield. "Come on, let's go home. Dr. Reiland will be interested to hear about what we found."


	6. Interlude: A Job Well Done

It was a bright and early morning in Loch Alstan, and a busy one, too. Nearly a hundred staff members were gathered in the employee lounge of the Reiland Institute for Research, chatting away as they got ready for another day of work and study. Andrea was present as well, seated alone at one of the tables; to the left of her was a half empty mug of mint tea, and to the right was an empty plate, speckled with biscuit crumbs. In front of her was the local newspaper, the Daily Loch, opened to the housing section. Row upon row of houses, apartments and other rental properties were on display, with giant red X's crossed through most of the cheaper offers.

"How am I going to afford any of this _and_ pay off my student debts..." she muttered to herself. As she continued to search for living arrangements, a coffee cup appeared on the end of the table. She looked up to see who had placed it there.

Patrick yawned heavily. "Morn'," he said. "Sleep well?"

She shook her head. "I don't think I'll ever get used to motels... I need to find a proper place to live."

He laughed. "I still can't believe you came here without a plan."

"Yeah, yeah, _very_ funny..." she said as she crossed out another candidate. "This is depressing."

"You'll find something. Check the south side of town, lots of cheap stuff down there. Lots of riff-raff down there, too, but at least you'll have a roof over your head."

Two more giant red X's appeared on the page. As she looked back at it, nearly the entire page was awash with red ink, and it was enough to frustrate her deeply. "I need a break from this..." she grumbled with a sigh. "What am I doing today? Will I be put on another project, or do we still have unfinished business regarding what we found in Nettlefield?"

"I was about to talk to Dr. Reiland about it. You should come with, I'm sure she'll want to hear about your first day on the job."

* * *

Dr. Reiland was seated in her office, struggling valiantly with a small orange bottle of medication. With every failed attempt, she shook her frail-looking hand and breathed in and out to dull the pain of her crippling arthritis. "The nerve of these pharma companies..." she growled. Another attempt was interrupted by a knock at the door. "Yes? Who is it?"

A muffled voice came from the other side of the door. "Good morning, doctor! It's Patrick!"

"Ah, just a moment," she called out. She dropped the bottle of medication onto the table, then reached for her cane. With a brief countdown, she wobbled to her feet and approached the door, then began to disable the locks that sealed her away from the outside world. She opened the door and greeted her guests with a warm smile. "Ah! If it isn't Patrick and Ms. Dennison!" she said as she returned to her desk. "You've returned sooner than I expected. Was there trouble?" She motioned for the two to have a seat.

"No trouble, ma'am," he said. "We're actually done."

"Done? Already?" she asked. There was a distinct tone of disbelief behind her words.

"Yes ma'am! You can thank our newest hire for that." He patted Andrea on the shoulder rather roughly, if not enthusiastically.

Dr. Reiland glanced at her with a quick and studious look before returning her attention to Patrick. "I'm interested to hear what you mean by that... and what you've found, of course."

"We're pretty certain that we locked down the cause of the illness that's swept across the Miltank herd at the Gates Dairy Farm. We've ruled out that it's a problem with the feed, and the illness isn't contagious as far as we know."

"Then what is it? How is it spreading?"

"Are you familiar with Blastcap?" Andrea asked.

"Blastcap... Blastcap..." Dr. Reiland muttered to herself as she searched the depths of her memory. "I've heard of it, but I'm not very familiar with it."

"It's a fungal species of Pokémon, it reproduces with clouds of spores... unfortunately, those spores are quite toxic, and they seem to be the root of the problem at the farm." Patrick added. "It's native to the Mangada region, but it's been introduced to ecosystems across the world, including here in Lanark... we might have a big infestation around Nettlefield."

"How big?" she asked.

"You took pictures, didn't you, Andrea? Show her."

Andrea retrieved her phone from her purse, navigated to the photos she took the previous day, then handed it to Dr. Reiland.

"I'd say we walked at least an hour and we didn't even find the end of it! It must have been spreading out there for years."

Dr. Reiland's eyes widened quite rapidly as she flipped through the pictures. "Oh... oh dear, that's... that's quite something..." she said. "This is... problematic, to say the least."

Patrick nodded. "It is. I'm going to get in touch with the Ministry of Wildlife to see what they can do about it. They've dealt with this kind of problem before, back in the 1960s, surely they can deal with it again."

Dr. Reiland handed the phone back. "How many of these Blastcaps did you find?"

Andrea and Patrick glanced at each other in silence for a brief moment before she answered. "None, actually."

She tilted her head to the side. "None? I'm afraid I don't follow."

"We found one Pokémon out there, but the R-Kit couldn't properly identify it." Her voice began to crack as she continued, as if she weren't confident in her words. "It said that it was an unknown species?"

Dr. Reiland lit up. "Unknown species, you say?" she asked. "Did you capture it, by chance? This could be big!"

Once again, the two glanced at each other until Patrick spoke up. "Unfortunately I had to, umm... destroy it..." he said in a sheepish manner. "It posed a considerable threat not just to us, but to the village as well. Very violent little bugger. Well, big bugger. Much taller than me."

Dr. Reiland leaned back in her chair, deep in contemplation. "Ah... I see... I don't suppose I can blame you for what happened, but we may have lost a rare chance to document a new species... I may need to start contracting professional trainers to assist in matters such as these, perhaps it would have ended a bit less tragically."

"Believe me, I wanted to capture it, but the risk was simply too great. I probably owe Andrea my life if she hadn't stepped in to help me out. That thing snared me with a vine and started to reel me in like a fish, her quick thinking was the only thing that saw me untangled."

"Is that so? I want you to make a note of that in your report to the Ministry. We don't want anyone getting injured or killed while they investigate and deal with this problem."

"Yes ma'am."

"Also, I want a detailed report of just what this creature was. There will be some gaps that we can fill in later, but this could be groundbreaking. It's not often that we get to announce a new species of Pokémon!"

He nodded. "I was going to going to write that up later today. I have some physical samples I brought back to analyze, I'll include my findings in the report as well."

"Is there anything else noteworthy about the creature you've found, or the problem with the Miltank herd?"

He shook his head. "Nothing notable. What do you think, Andrea?"

"I think you summed it up pretty well," Andrea answered.

"Very well, get started on this as soon as you can. I look forward to reading your report and getting in touch with Ministry officials."

He leaned over towards Andrea and spoke softly. "Mind emailing those pictures to me? I don't think the Ministry will take this seriously without some sort of evidence. Pretty unbelievable circumstances, if you were to ask me."

"Sure thing."

"Send them over to padelaide-reilandinstitute-org, I'll get the report taken care of later today."

As Andrea began to tap away at her phone, Dr. Reiland asked, "How would you rate Ms. Dennison's performance, Patrick?"

"I think she did very well! Nine out of ten, easily." he said. "A bit hesitant to do some of the things that needed to be done, but when she got around to doing it, she did a good job."

"Hesitant?" Andrea and Dr. Reiland asked in unison.

He leaned towards Andrea and spoke softly once again. "Ya know, the whole dead cow business." His attention returned to Dr. Reiland. "I don't blame her, it was pretty grim for her first job. Were I in her shoes, I'd have probably felt the same."

"Understandable," Dr. Reiland offered.

"I also let her do most of the analysis, to see if she was up to the task. She already seems well acquainted with the R-Kit and knows how to use it effectively."

"That was quick," she said.

"And her intuition saved us a lot of time. It didn't take her long to figure out what we were looking at. It just... sorta clicked in her head that maybe we should look at the Blastcap as a potential cause of the problem. She learned a lot during her studies, and I'd wager that a lot of it stuck with her even if she's forgotten the finer details. Something like that could be invaluable."

"So you would say that hiring her was a good decision?"

"It's still early, but... hell yeah. I think we struck gold."

The positive remarks were a load off of Andrea's shoulders. She knew that she did well in Nettlefield, but the haunting specter of doubt lingered above her regardless. A smile crept across her face as Patrick continued to praise her efforts, her knowledge and her work. Breaking away from the tradition of years past, she slowly began to feel confidence in what she was doing.

"If that's all, doctor, I'd like to get started on this analysis."

"That will be all."

He nodded politely as he stood up. "Nice working with you, Andrea. I think you'll do fine here."

"Thank you!" she said.

Before the two of them could even get halfway to the door, Dr. Reiland spoke up. "Ms. Dennison, would you mind staying for a moment? I'd like to speak with you."

Patrick nodded towards Andrea. "I'll catch you later."

Andrea cautiously returned to her seat and began to think about what the doctor might want. Once again, doubt began to flood over her, so she put it all out of mind and masked her thoughts with a warm and patient smile.

Without a word, Dr. Reiland began her struggle with the bottle of medication again. It took a few awkward moments of silence before she offered it across the desk. "Would you be a dear, please?"

Andrea grabbed the bottle, opened it with relative ease, then handed it back to Dr. Reiland.

"Damned arthritis medication. What sense does it make to put it in such an impossible to open bottle?" she said as she poured two round pills onto a small tray. Afterward, she grabbed five other bottles of medicine and placed them at the edge of her desk. "While I have you here, perhaps you could open those as well."

Andrea happily obliged and began to work on the first bottle. Curiosity about the large amount of medicine that Dr. Reiland appeared to use on a daily basis started to get the better of her. The question begged to be asked; what was it for? However, she insisted on being respectful. "I'll assume you didn't ask me to stick around just to open your medication."

"You would be correct," she replied before she swallowed the two pills. "Patrick's review of your work yesterday was... glowing! And I must say, I'm impressed... if what he says is true."

The caveat that Dr. Reiland added at the end worried her greatly. "Excuse me?"

She leaned back in her chair and studied Andrea's reaction. "Don't take this the wrong way, Ms. Dennison... While Patrick is one of my most trusted staff members, he has a nasty habit of embellishing the truth a bit when it comes to our female employees. It's usually harmless, but it can be quite worrying at times."

"I... umm... Everything he said was honest, ma'am."

"I noticed that the second room my secretary rented at the motel in Nettlefield was cancelled. He didn't act inappropriately, did he?"

The question seemed out of left field to her. "What? No! He was a perfect gentleman!"

She readjusted her posture and accepted the opened bottle from Andrea, then handed over another. She could tell that Andrea felt nervous about the questions and decided to ease up, as she seemed genuine enough to be trusted. "I shouldn't worry you with these kinds of questions. They are best asked of him, I apologize... In any event, I had a job lined up for one of my other employees, but his work ethic has been shaky at best. He's a smart one, but he's also lazy and tends to cut corners if he thinks that no one is watching. This might not be something that we can cut corners on."

Andrea placed another opened bottle onto the desk and got to work on yet another. "What do you have in mind?"

"Are you familiar with the village of Doranshire?" she asked.

Andrea tried to think. She knew that it was the closest village to the town where she grew up, but that alone summed up her knowledge about it. "I know _of_ it, but don't ask me any trivia about it."

"It's been in the news recently. Over the past couple of weeks, there have been some strange incidents reported... flickering lights in the woods, odd and 'unexplainable' sounds late at night, that kind of stuff. It's been causing quite a stir with the locals, and the village council is starting to demand answers."

"Bumps in the night?"

"Among other things. I know this isn't your area of expertise, being a biologist and all... but I need someone reliable. Someone who can find answers. From what Patrick has told me about you, you fit that description well."

"You want me to go chase a ghost?"

She downed the pills, then handed another bottle to Andrea. "Heh. It does sound a bit outlandish, doesn't it?" she asked. "But we are women of science. We know there are no such things as ghosts, not in the traditional sense. There is always a logical and physical explanation for everything, a few bumps in the night should be no different."

Andrea objected to the idea. "If I'm honest, doctor, this sounds like a waste of time."

"It may very well be. But it is our duty as scientists to uncover the truth and to help those in need where we can. There may be something more serious at play here than just a few ghost stories."

Andrea thought for a moment about how silly it all sounded, but she realized that she wasn't in a position to argue the matter. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that complaining about the work she was receiving, on her second day no less, would almost certainly be career suicide. She gave in with a sigh, but tried to mask it with a smile. "If you think that this is worth the time, and that I'm the right person for this job, then I'll do it."

"Good to hear! I can understand if you're hesitant to take on this kind of work, but it warms my heart to see you consider it."

"Doranshire's a long way away, though..." Andrea noted.

"It is!" Dr. Reiland began to type away at her keyboard. "It's much too far to walk, so you'll be taking the train! Unfortunately, there isn't a direct line to Doranshire, so there will still be some light footwork for you."

"Where's the nearest station?"

"Aughrim."

"I wouldn't call Aughrim to Doranshire 'light' footwork..." she said. She began to think about what would be involved with reaching the village of Doranshire from Aughrim; a couple of days of travelling the roads, at least, and that would be if nothing happened on the way. "Hold on. Patrick's going to be analyzing the samples we brought back from Nettlefield. You don't expect me to do this alone, do you? Things got pretty ugly on the road, I was lucky that he was there to protect me!"

"There is no need to worry, you won't be doing this one alone. I have an associate who is also interested in the happenings in Doranshire, and he'll be sending one of his contractors to investigate as well." She turned the screen on her computer around to let Andrea see; the photo of a young woman with long, chestnut brown hair and strikingly blue eyes was on the screen. The woman's face was grim and emotionless, almost as if the photo was a police mug shot. "The lady in question is a master Pokémon trainer. There will be no trouble on the road, I assure you. You'll be meeting her in Aughrim."

"What's her name?"

"Tamara Dahl. Are you familiar with her, by chance?"

Andrea shook her head.

"She's a two time champion of the Indigo League, champion of the Asperia League, master of the Silver Conference, and has earned 44 gym badges from across the world."

The woman's achievements were impressive, even to someone as ignorant about Pokémon training as Andrea. "You weren't kidding when you said a master trainer..."

Dr. Reiland let out a bemused chuckle.

"So... what will I be looking for in Doranshire, exactly?"

She downed the last of her pills and gathered up the bottles in a neat and orderly manner. "That's up to you, there could be any number of causes. However, I would suggest getting a closer look at the local reservoir."

"Think something's in the water?"

"It's possible. If the water is contaminated, lives could be at stake and an evacuation would be logical. Of course, it could be something else entirely! Use your brain, you'll figure it out." she said with a smile.

Andrea shook her head as she thought over what was asked of her. "Will that be all?"

"Yes. Stay safe out there!"


	7. Chapter 6: The Rails

The sound of a train horn echoed across the skyline of the town as a Silverline train began its departure from Alstan Central Station. Inside, Andrea was fighting to maintain her balance as the carriages jolted to life and began to move; she had just barely made it onto the train before it departed, and she was the only passenger still on her feet. As she stumbled her way to the back of the carriage, she noticed that there were very few passengers aboard; an elderly couple, a man in a snappy suit and a man her age in a salmon pink polo shirt and brown cargo shorts. Of the 48 seats available, only four were taken. Thoughts began to swirl in her mind.

"Will they actually notice... the guy already checked my ticket..." she mumbled to herself, debating whether or not to try sneaking into the first class carriage. She realized that it wasn't, but tried to justify the fact that it was owed to her after previous bad experiences while riding the train. She cautiously looked around to see if any railroad employees were watching, then threw her backpack onto the soft, cushioned seat when the coast was clear. " _What's the worst they can do? Throw me in economy where I belong?_ "

The comm system resonated with a pleasant tone and a gravelly voice followed soon after. "Welcome aboard, this is the conductor speaking! This train is currently departing from Loch Alstan and will arrive in Redfern Crossing in approximately two hours. Passengers who are en route to Silvergarden or are crossing the border into Glastonfell will be switching trains upon arrival. Passengers en route to Silverstream, Aughrim and Tradewind will remain on this train for the remainder of their journey. If there are any questions, you may speak with me on carriage #2. Thank you for riding with Silverline today, and have a pleasant journey!"

She had a look through the window as the train began to pick up speed. The view today was much nicer than it was when she had first arrived in Loch Alstan. Not a cloud was in sight, allowing the sun to pour down onto the fertile valley below. The majestic lavender mountains of the north that separated Lanark from Glastonfell continued their eternal watch of the forests and fields around them. She knew that they were just mountains made of stone at the end of the day, but she felt a deep appreciation for the beauty of nature that they represented, beauty she rarely had an opportunity to revel in.

It didn't take long before her view was interrupted by a sweet sounding voice behind her. "Would you care for some tea, dear?"

She looked up to see one of the railway employees standing beside her with a tea cart in tow. She tried to mask her nervousness with a smile, further drowning it with politeness. "Yes, that would be lovely. Thank you!" She watched as the hostess poured the freshly brewed tea into a porcelain mug, blissfully unaware that she was seated in the wrong section.

"Would you like some sugar, milk or cream with that?"

"No thanks."

The hostess nodded, balanced the mug on a saucer and handed it to Andrea. "Enjoy! Let me know if there's anything else I can do for you."

"That's it for now, thank you," she said. A smile crept across her face as the hostess moved onto the next passenger. " _I might actually get away with this..._ "

It was a long ride ahead of her, so she decided to do a little investigation into what was being reported in Doranshire. With her R-Kit at the ready, she began to sift through the headlines of Lanark's regional newspapers, looking for any articles about Doranshire. Dozens of articles from the past month popped up, including topics such as a charity bake sale, the death of a movie actress who was born in the area, a house fire that left two families homeless and the results of a local referendum. Just as Dr. Reiland had noted, dozens more that covered strange sightings within and around the village were available as well.

One article detailed the 'crazed ravings' of an elderly woman who swore that demons were trying to enter her house, but when police arrived to investigate, no substantial evidence to prove the woman's claims was found. Another article focused on reports made by several people of a ghostly apparition that walked up and down Mill Street, but key differences in witness testimonies led investigators to believe it was most likely a hoax. Another article mentioned that the walls of the first grade classroom at the local elementary school oozed with blood, but this was later attributed to water leaking from rusty pipes.

Other articles discussed strange noises heard throughout the village late at night, floating orbs of light that zigzagged through the nearby forest and small dolls made of woven reeds and burlap being discovered about town, mutilated beyond recognition. One common theme that bonded all of these articles was that they were all dismissed as harmless pranks that were leading to mass hysteria, with calls for the public to remain calm becoming increasingly common in recent days.

The more she read the articles, the more she began to feel like she was in over her head; she had spent the past four years studying to become a biologist, not an expert in the paranormal. " _What would I know about any of this?_ " she wondered. " _I really hope that lady I'm meeting knows what to do..._ "

Even though she had been told that she wasn't going to tackle this task alone, she was nervous. To think that Tamara Dahl, one of the world's most respected and skilled competitive trainers would be working alongside her filled her with near-crippling anxiety. She felt that she wasn't worthy enough to be in the presence of such a legend, and the feeling that just about any lowborne thing she did would annoy Ms. Dahl lingered over her like a thick fog. " _Hopefully she'll be patient..._ " she thought to herself. " _But something tells me she won't. Not with how successful she must be._ "

Curious, she began to look up information about her upcoming partner. Dr. Reiland must have been looking to save time when listing out Ms. Dahl's accomplishments earlier in the day, as they were more extensive than she imagined. Not only had she earned the position of champion of two leagues and dominated most of the tournaments she participated in, she also participated in nearly a dozen Grand Festivals, winning the top position in three of them. Even more, she was instrumental in helping to dismantle an international Pokémon trafficking ring run by the feared criminal syndicate, Team Rocket.

Something that caught Andrea's attention more than anything else was that she was widely regarded as one of the world's most knowledgeable experts in paranormal Pokémon. In her fourteen year career as a competitive trainer, the paranormal was what she lived and breathed; she put together a nearly unstoppable team and developed unparalleled strategies that have been the subject of intense debate and study. If a woman of her caliber was interested in investigating the happenings in Doranshire, she thought, perhaps there was more going on in Doranshire than just a few mean pranks. The thought worried her.

Andrea checked the time on her R-Kit. Only 25 minutes had passed since the train had departed from Alstan Central Station, and nearly seven hours remained on her journey to Aughrim, so she decided to pass the time with a little sleep. It didn't take long for her to find a comfortable position and drift off.

* * *

Nearly six hours had passed since Andrea drifted off to sleep. She slept peacefully and deeply, more than making up for the terrible night she went through, but that peace was soon interrupted by the screeching of the train's brakes. She lurched forward in a panic, almost convinced that the train had just derailed, but a look through the window soothed her worst fears. "Ugh... my head..." she mumbled to herself as she stretched.

As she took a drink from her now lukewarm tea, she noticed a feline creature walking down the center aisle in her direction. The creature was small in height, reaching up to her shins at most, and was covered with a thick, glossy coat of black and brown fur which extended downwards towards the ground. Dainty little feet poked out from beneath its fur and carried it forward with an elegant stride. Even fluffier fur sprouted from its long tail, bobbing and waving with every movement it made.

The creature looked familiar to her, but she wasn't certain about it and raised her R-Kit to scan it. "Skitty, the kitten Pokémon!" it droned. "Skitty is among the first Pokémon to be domesticated by humans in ancient times, often serving as garden protectors or as caretaker assistants of the sick and elderly. Now, they are a popular choice as house pets due to their aggressively cuddly and loyal behavior, and are a good choice for novice Pokémon trainers, due to the ease of raising one once trust is established."

The Skitty approached, then stopped in its tracks and stared at her.

"Umm. Hello?" she offered.

The Skitty responded with more silent staring before inviting itself up onto the table in front of her. It was instantly drawn to the strong scent wafting from the tea and rushed over to investigate.

She cautiously extended her hand towards the Skitty and began to pet its luxuriously soft fur. "Aren't you pretty?" she asked. The Skitty began to purr softly as it rubbed all over her hand. "And friendly!" She reached for her purse and began to dig through it for her phone, intent on taking a picture. Before she could, however, the Skitty had bolted and started running down the aisle again.

A young woman soon followed after. "Telandra, sweetie! Come back!"

Andrea watched the scene unfold with amusement. The young woman chased after the Skitty as it employed impressive gymnastics to escape her grasp time and time again. Slow approaches, quick grabs, diversion tactics, none of them worked. There was a hint of mischief on the Skitty's face as it avoided the woman, and while Andrea couldn't be certain, she thought she saw a smile briefly shine on the woman's face. One final attempt to grab the Skitty was met with failure and sent it returning in Andrea's direction. She figured it would be a waste of time, but positioned herself in the path of the approaching Skitty, and with some quick timing, was able to snatch it before it could get any further.

As the young woman approached, she offered the black and brown Skitty outward. "I believe this is your cat."

"Thank you," the woman said as she grabbed ahold of the Skitty and began to rock it back and forth in her arms. "She can be quite the handful sometimes. She must have wandered off while my attention was elsewhere."

"She seemed pretty anxious to get away from you," she couldn't help but note.

"She entered my care only recently. Obedience can be a bit of an issue at times... But she's generally well behaved! My apologies for bothering you."

"No need to apologize..." she said as she extended her hand outward towards the Skitty. "May I?"

The woman nodded.

She ran her fingers through the Skitty's soft, cloud-like fur again. "She's very beautiful."

"Thank you! I put a lot of effort into making sure that she is."

"What breed is she? I've never seen one that looks like this before."

The woman invited herself to the seat across from Andrea and placed the Skitty on the table between them. "Asperian Forest. She's a pure breed."

"Huh..." she pondered as she glanced over the Skitty's features. "What's her name?"

"Her name is Telandra."

"Telandra? Where do I know that name..."

"She's named after our queen, may she rest in peace."

"Yeah, that's it! That's, uh... kind of a silly name for a cat, don't you think?"

"Is not!" the woman protested. "It describes her perfectly! Look at how regal she looks!" She raised a finger towards the sky and continued, "Telandra, show me some pride!"

The Skitty closed her eyes, and with a twirl, she straightened her posture and raised her head upward. Her eyes opened a small amount, and the look of haughty mischief returned to her face. She approached Andrea and began to strut about in a bid for attention. Andrea gave the Skitty what she wanted and in return, she melted into a loud, purring puddle of happiness in front of her.

As the young woman watched over her Skitty, she studied Andrea closely. "I must say, that clothing you're wearing-"

The joy faded as a vague sense of anger began to creep over Andrea upon hearing the words. "Ugh, again! Why does everyone hate the way I dress?" she asked as she shook her hands with frustration. "It's not like I'm constantly nothing but doom and-" She took the opportunity to stop herself in her tracks. She knew that it wasn't right to rant at a stranger about how often people commented on her appearance, and even more, she started to feel bad about the look of shock on the woman's face. "Sorry, I get a lot of mean remarks about I look... it gets on my nerves sometimes."

"Oh! No! I didn't intend to be mean!" the woman replied. She pointed across the table. "Misfit Angel, correct?"

She looked down at her black dress, then back at the woman and raised her eyebrow. "Yes... Why?"

"My childhood friend happens to be the creator of the Misfit Angel clothing line. I helped to design that dress last year!"

"Really? You're friends with Nicole Spencer? What's she like?" Giddiness began to wash over Andrea, and she continued without allowing the woman to respond. "Shit, that's so cool! She's so inspiring! I haven't met her so this will probably sound weird or creepy or something, but she really helped me break out of my shell a few years ago! Oh, I am _such_ a big fan of her work!"

"I can tell!" The woman said with a giggle. "She's... problematic at times, but her heart is in the right place."

"Problematic?"

"Her and I disagree on a lot... mostly methods of how to approach problems, mind. In the end, I can't fault her. She's a good person deep down." she answered. "I hope I haven't shattered any illusions for you."

Andrea shrugged at the comment.

The young woman offered her hand across the table. "My name is Kimberly, by the way."

"Andrea," she said, returning the gesture.

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Andrea!" Kimberly said with a warm smile. "Where are you headed, friend?"

"Aughrim."

Enthusiasm swept over Kimberly. "That's my destination as well! What brings you there?"

She grabbed her tea and began to sip from it. "Work. I have some business to attend to in Doranshire, Aughrim is the closest place. What about you?"

"I'm getting started as a coordinator... I'll be participating in my first national competition."

"Coordinator?"

"You haven't heard of it?"

She shook her head in silence.

"Oh, uh... sugar! How do I explain it..." Kimberly muttered to herself. "It's a sort of stage performance that coordinators such as I engage in with our Pokémon. We compete against others in a variety of different styles, but the most popular one, and the style that I hope to get into, involves flashiness, showmanship, and stunning visuals."

The concept seemed vaguely familiar to Andrea, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She'd halfheartedly watched many Pokémon competitions over the years, but couldn't remember if any of them were coordination contests. "I don't think I've ever seen that kind of stuff before..."

Kimberly nodded. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you haven't heard of it. It's not as popular as competitive battling. Most people aren't aware that it's even a thing. Personally, I blame the fact that its seen as a woman's sport for its lack of popularity..."

"So... it's a light show, huh? Sounds interesting enough."

"It's much more than a light show, there's music and dance as well. You should come see my performance tonight if you have the time! I'm sure you'd love it if you tried it, and you'll get to see what it's all about." She unzipped her purse and began to rifle through its contents. "I have some guest tickets available, but nobody to give them to. Would you be interested?"

She sheepishly looked at the time on her R-Kit. She was already certain that she couldn't take the time to see the performance, but asked anyway. "What time?"

"The show starts at 8 PM."

"I don't think I'd be able to make it. I'm meeting a business associate when I arrive in Aughrim, and she'll probably want to get to work right away."

"Aww... That's a shame, but I understand." Kimberly looked down at the R-Kit on Andrea's wrist. "Strange looking watch you have there... what time is it?"

"5:33 PM," she answered.

"Oh! Time certainly flies, we should be arriving in Aughrim soon! It was a pleasure to meet you, Andrea, but I should make a few last minute preparations for my routine tonight!" Kimberly tapped on the table to wake up her napping Skitty, then extended her arms outward. The Skitty jumped up into her arms and perched on her shoulder like a parrot. "That means you, Telandra! I have to make sure your fur is absolutely perfect!"

Telandra meowed with joy.

She reached into her purse, grabbed a small plastic card and offered it to Andrea. "I know you said you'll probably be busy, but if you do find some free time tonight... here's a VIP ticket to the show."

Andrea grabbed it. "Sure, why not? I'll see if I can convince my partner to take some time off tonight."

She dug through her purse again and grabbed another card. "Here, one for your partner, too. That might make it easier to convince her."

Andrea let out a laugh. "You really want people to come tonight, don't you?"

"It wouldn't hurt to have a couple of fans cheering me on!" she said with a nod. "If we don't see each other tonight... best of luck with your business in Doranshire. I've heard about strange things happening in that village... Stay safe."

"Thank you," Andrea said. She placed the two tickets down onto the table and began to read from them.

 _Witness the performance of a lifetime, the biannual event that has taken Aughrim by storm for twelve straight years! This ticket admits one visitor to the Majesty of Aughrim coordination contest, scheduled for the 14th of May and held at the Cèilidh Gailearaidh on West Armory Street. Prepare to have your breath taken away as eight coordinators compete against each other for glory and the chance to be crowned the Lad or Lass of Aughrim!_


	8. Chapter 7: Station Search

A soft jingle began to ring through the train's comm system. "Thank you for riding with Silverline today! We have just arrived in Aughrim, two minutes ahead of schedule! The time now is 6:03 PM, and the weather outside is a cool and refreshing 16°C. If you are-"

Andrea was too preoccupied with another game of Tetris to hear the announcement. She worked at a feverish pace to move the colored blocks around the screen in a desperate attempt to continue, but things began to look grim. Red, yellow, green, blue, purple and white tiles piled up too fast for her to deal with, but a lucky string of well-timed and well-placed tetrads brought her back from the brink of failure.

 _Level 29!_ appeared on the screen as her score passed the 290 line mark.

"Yes... _Yes!_ " she aggressively cheered to herself as she continued to focus on the falling blocks. "I just might do this!"

Despite her joy, she continued onward with unparalleled concentration. The colors flashed before her eyes as she moved each incoming tetrad into position, or at least attempted to. Red... red... green... blue... row complete! Red... purple... row complete! Yellow... yellow... yellow...

" _Come on... give me something else!_ " her thoughts begged.

A white line appeared on the screen next, a very welcome sight. She positioned it properly and cleared four rows at once, giving her some much needed breathing room. The piling up of mismatched tiles resumed; red... purple... blue... purple... row complete! Yellow... red...

"Excuse me, Andrea?" a voice called from beside her.

She snapped back into reality as she looked around her. "Huh?" The game continued without her, and while she was lucky to clear another row without moving any of the tetrads, they quickly piled up and reached the top of the board. "Oh! Kimberly! Sorry, I was a little, uh..." she said as her attention returned to her phone. "Oh... I lost... great."

"You seem very distracted!" Kimberly said with a giggle. "The train has been stopped for several minutes now! Wasn't Aughrim your destination?"

She tossed her phone back into her purse and looked around to see the other passengers gathered at the doors. "Oh! I probably would have missed my stop if it weren't for you, thank you." She gathered up her belongings, slung them over her shoulders, stood up and let out a long and relaxing stretch. As she looked around, she noticed that Kimberly's Skitty was missing. "Where's your Skitty?"

Kimberly tapped on the pink Pokéball that dangled from the ribbon that ran along her dress' waistline. The Pokéball was adorned with fuzzy, faux-fur ears and the central button resembled a feline's nose, a design that Andrea was unfamiliar with. "She's safely back in her Pokéball. I don't like to have her out while in a big city like this. Much too risky."

"Good call, but I'd put those Pokéballs somewhere more secure if I were you. This station can be a little dangerous, especially during the evening rush hour."

"Dangerous?" Kimberly asked. Without waiting for an answer, she decided to follow the advice; she detached the pink Pokéball from her ribbon, did the same with a gem-studded purple one, then placed them into her purse.

The two began to walk towards the door together. "It hasn't happened to me, but I've seen it. Lots of thieves and scammers around here. They'll rob you blind before you even hit the floor. Hell, they could probably take that fancy dress of yours off and disappear into the crowd before you even realize it happened."

"Oh... Oh dear..." Kimberly said, her voice wavering. "Maybe it would be wise if we stuck together?"

She shrugged at the suggestion. "If you have the time. It could take me awhile to find this lady I'm supposed to meet, this is the biggest train station in the country and I don't know exactly _where_ I'm supposed to meet her."

"I have some time to spare, I think."

The door whooshed open and the two were immediately assaulted with the roaring ruckus of the evening crowd. A sea of densely packed people covered large sections of the platform, making it difficult not just to exit the train, but to move deeper into the station as well. Despite the fact that she barely knew her, Andrea could tell that Kimberly had never visited Aughrim before and felt it was her duty to guide her safely through the station; she wrapped her arm around Kimberly's shoulder and pulled her in close, then led the way as they fought through the horde of busy travellers.

"This is intolerable!" Kimberly protested as she was jostled left and right by the crowd. "How are you so calm right now?"

"This is actually kind of light compared to the last time I was here," she replied. "You don't do much traveling, do you?"

"I've traveled a lot, actually... But I usually fly on a private jet if it makes sense to."

It took a moment for the comment to register in Andrea's mind. "...private jet?"

"Yes. My father..." Kimberly started, then held her tongue. She eyed the people around her with suspicion before continuing with a lowered voice. "My father is a wealthy businessman. I usually have access to his private jet, since he doesn't use it much anymore."

"Why not just fly into the city then?" she asked.

"There was no airport where I spent the last few months of my life. Besides, it's nice to see the countryside from the ground every now and then, isn't it?"

"Can't argue with that."

It took some time, but they finally managed to make their way into the main hall of the train station. The crowds were slightly thinner than on the platform, but not by much. Andrea began to realize the difficulties of finding her partner among the masses; she knew vaguely what Tamara looked like, but there were thousands of faces to scan and study, and potentially dozens of people to talk to before she found the right person. She lamented the fact that there wasn't a more solid plan when it came to meeting her. ' _Just go and you'll find her, have fun!_ ' seemed like a terrible waste of time, but she was stuck with it.

Kimberly suggested they reach a higher vantage point and they ventured to the second story balcony. It certainly helped her to investigate the crowd more quickly, but the finer details of the people they were looking at were lost on both of them. Kimberly dropped her backpack to the floor and began to dig through it. She retrieved a small pair of binoculars and handed them over to Andrea.

"Yeah... I won't look suspicious at all..." she said before raising the binoculars to her eyes. Every now and then, she'd lower them, focus on another group of people, then raise them again for a closer inspection. She was making very little progress in finding Tamara in the crowds, and it was starting to frustrate her. A few more minutes of searching was fruitless. "I sure am glad I know what I'm looking for!" she began to rant, the sarcasm in her voice clearly obvious.

" _Who_ are you looking for, exactly?" Kimberly asked.

"A girl named Tamara Dahl."

"Oh, I've heard of her! The world famous Pokémon trainer!" Kimberly said. "You're going to be working with her?"

She lowered the binoculars one last time and handed them back, then pulled her phone out of her purse. She began to dial Dr. Reiland's phone number. "That was the plan..."

"That's quite an honor!"

The phone rang five times before it was finally picked up. "Hello?"

"Yes, Dr. Reiland? It's Ms. Dennison, your new employee!"

"Ah! Yes, Ms. Dennison! You should be in Aughrim by now, correct?"

She nodded. "I am."

"Good! How was the train ride?"

She peered over at Kimberly, then shrugged. "I don't know, actually, I slept through most of it."

"Heh, sleeping on the job, huh?" She let out a long sigh. "I envy you... Have you met with your partner yet?"

"That's what I called about... I've been looking for over half an hour now, I can't find her anywhere."

"Is that so? Have you tried the main lobby, under the clock?"

"That was the first place I looked. Not there."

"Huh... that's where I was told she would be..."

The fact that Dr. Reiland apparently knew where Tamara was supposed to be waiting made it difficult for Andrea to contain her frustration, but she did her best. "It would have been nice to know that. It feels like I came here without a plan."

There was a momentary pause. "...did I not tell you that? My sincerest apologies, the medication can... you know."

"Whatever the case, I can't find her. I don't know where she could be. I've looked almost everywhere."

" _Almost_ everywhere?"

"I'm not going into the men's restroom to look for her."

Dr. Reiland let out a hearty laugh, but she quickly shifted to a more somber tone. "That's... worrying. From what I know of her, she's always punctual. Can you give me a moment?" There was a long pause as she went silent, and the sound of her struggling to lift something came across the line. A few moments later, she continued, "I want you to call this number, it's Ms. Dahl's personal line. 1-105-6734. Please, don't share that number, she has gone to great lengths to keep it hidden from the public."

"1... 105..." she mumbled quietly, relegating the number to her short term memory. "Got it."

"I'm going to get in touch with her employer, see if he knows anything. That will take some time, though... You caught me on my way home. If you find her before I call you again, let me know."

"Thank you, will do."

"You'll hear from me soon." The phone clicked, then went silent.

She let out a sigh and began to dial the number that Dr. Reiland gave her.

"Anything?" Kimberly asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing. I'm going to call this lady's personal number, see if I can get through."

The phone rang... and rang... and rang, until eventually an automated message began to play, "Greetings, you've reached Tamara! I can't answer the phone right now, leave me a message and I'll get back to you." A loud beep followed shortly after.

She began to mutter obscenities under her breath before finally composing her message. "Uhh, hello! This is Andrea Dennison, Dr. Reiland's assistant. I'm supposed to accompany you to Doranshire for some research about the strange happenings going on there. I'm here at Camden Station but I can't find you anywhere, there's far too many people in the way. Get in touch with me so we can figure out where we're meeting, my number is 1-210-7240. See ya soon!" She hung her phone up and sighed loudly.

"Is everything okay?" Kimberly asked.

She shook her head. "It's only been a few days, but this job has been _very_ stressful so far... First that cow, then the mushrooms, and now-" She stopped her unintelligible muttering when she saw the strange look on Kimberly's face. "I'm sure she's just running late, she must be a very busy person."

"Speaking of running late, I should probably get going... These coordination contests take some time to prepare for... Will you be alright here by yourself?" Kimberly asked.

She made a dismissive gesture as she nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Good luck with your contest."

"And to you as well, friend. It was nice meeting you!"

She watched as Kimberly cautiously approached the crowd and then disappeared into it. "10 golden roses says she's eaten alive by this city..." she mused to herself.

She decided to sweep the station more thoroughly again for any signs of Tamara, despite the nagging thoughts that it would be pointless; if she hadn't picked up her phone, she reasoned, then she likely wasn't anywhere in the station. Or, who knew, maybe she was at the station, but the staggering amount of noise from the crowds made it impossible for her to hear her phone. Whatever the case, she just wanted to kill some time before Dr. Reiland contacted her again, and she could think of little else to do.

Her search led her across the main lobby and nearly every person she came across was meticulously studied. No luck. She moved onto the relaxation lounge next. The dim lights in the area were anything but helpful when it came to inspecting the people around her and even led to some awkward confusion when she thought she finally found Tamara, only to realize that the person in question was merely a man with long, black hair. Fed up with her search, she decided to move onto the next part of the station, the commerce center.

There were lots of alluring distractions in the commerce center; sports games on the television at the bar, the scent of freshly prepared food, a public Dance-Dance-Arcade! match between two seasoned veterans, a variety book store and a jewelry kiosk all fought for her attention. Her love of rave music made it difficult to slip by the Dance-Dance-Arcade! display unhindered, as did her rumbling stomach as she passed through the food court. All the while, she kept a watchful eye on the people around her... all for nothing. The more she thought about it, the more she felt that she wouldn't find Tamara.

She decided instead to pass the time by browsing the merchandise around her. A look through the book store offered little in the way of entertainment, as only two subjects were covered: romance and politics, neither of which she had any interest in. She was drawn back towards the Dance-Dance-Arcade! display next and blended in with the cheering spectators who were watching a heated competition between two young men.

"Yeah! Ya got 'em, ya got 'em!" one of the spectators shouted as the match progressed.

The screen was crammed to capacity with flashing arrows that passed by at lightning speed, each corresponding to a specific dance move. Both were able to keep up with the ludicrous pace and remained evenly matched for several minutes, but eventually one of them missed a step and threw off their whole rhythm. The crowd erupted with boisterous booing and cheering as the young man stormed off in defeat.

"Me next, this guy's goin' down!" another spectator demanded before shoving his way forward, almost knocking Andrea over in the process.

As the two argued on the next song and the difficulty they'd compete at, Andrea felt a deep rumbling against her leg. She pulled her phone out and looked at the screen, and her heart dropped a bit. ' _Incoming call from Dr. Rebecca Reiland_ '. She stepped away from the hollering crowd and answered. "Hello?"

"Hello, Ms. Dennison, it's Dr. Reiland again. Have you heard from Ms. Dahl yet?"

"I haven't. I don't think she's here. I called her phone and reached her voice mail, but she hasn't gotten back to me yet."

"I see... I was just in touch with her employer, Dr. Belmonte. He hasn't heard from her, either. The airline company she booked her flight into Aughrim with said that she was aboard the plane when it took off, but she never checked into the hotel she's staying at."

"Where the hell is she, then?"

"She's definitely in the country, but beyond that... I don't know. I'm starting to grow a little worried."

"You don't think..." she started.

Her mind immediately drifted to the recent news reports related to missing people, kidnappings and murders across the country. Growing up, Andrea always thought of Lanark as a safe country, and it truthfully was; disappearances were a rarity during her youth, and violent kidnappings even more so. She remembered reading a recent article that stated in April alone, there were nearly 400 reported cases of missing persons, ten times the yearly average. Fears that a trafficking ring had been established in the country continued to dominate the headlines and discussions on evening news programs, and Andrea had begun to wonder if Tamara had suffered a similar fate.

"Is it possible that she ran into trouble somewhere in the city?" she asked.

"As much as I don't want to... I'm starting to think that."

"So... what do... how..." she stumbled. "What should _I_ do?"

"I'm not sure there's much you can do at the moment. Check into a hotel, we'll figure out what you're doing in the morning. It's much too dangerous for you to travel the roads at night, especially alone. In the meantime, I'll keep in touch with Ms. Dahl's employer and sort out a missing person report."

"Understood."

"Stay safe, Ms. Dennison."

"I'll try."


	9. Chapter 8: a 'Cèilidh Gailearaidh

" _She has to be fine... There's no way someone like her could just... just become a victim,_ " Andrea told herself quietly. " _Surely a master Pokémon trainer like her could defend herself from anyone._ " The thoughts about her business partner's whereabouts were beginning to flood through her mind. As much as she tried to reason otherwise, she couldn't help but feel that something sinister had happened. " _What if she was targ-_ "

Her thoughts were interrupted as she was knocked to the floor. A large man towered over her with a look of bitter angriness on his face. He was dressed quite sharply, sporting a brown tweed suit that unfortunately had a large cup of coffee spilled all over it. "What the fuck, lady?! Watch where you're walkin'!" he roared as he wiped at the coffee with his hand.

"I-I-I'm sorry, I was... I was-"

Before offering to help her up or even allowing her to explain herself, the man stomped off. Just as well, she knew he wouldn't be interested in any excuses she offered.

She picked herself up off of the floor and looked around. Nobody had stopped to offer to help her, or even to see what had happened. That brief encounter, the careless people around her, the situation regarding Tamara, it was all beginning to take its toll on her. "I need to get out of here before I run into anyone else..." she muttered. She took one last look at the lobby behind her before stepping out into the chilly evening air. The atmosphere around her began to put her mind at ease; she was back in Aughrim, the city which she had called home for four years.

As she navigated the promenade, the gentle tones of a tenor saxophone began to fill the crisp air around her. She'd heard this enchanting sound nearly every time she visited the train station and once again, it lured her in. A man with a bowler hat and a fancy waxed mustache stood in the center of a crowd of spectators, playing his own rendition of a popular tune from the 1980s. The case in which he carried his saxophone was drowning under a pile of bronze and silver coins, with more being added by passersby.

The music calmed her nerves as it continued. She generally wasn't a fan of upbeat ballad music and in fact usually abhorred it, but she felt drawn in by it. The soothing notes of the music began to melt her anxiety away, and thoughts about Tamara's wellbeing started to slip into the back of her mind. She even found herself singing along to the lyrics once she found her stride:

 _Worlds apart, days and nights gone by,_  
 _Not seeing you is bringing me nothing but pain._  
 _I wish it weren't so, but I won't lie,_  
 _It's enough to drive me insane._  
 _I don't get to see you, feels like ever._  
 _How long will this go on? Forever?_

 _Where ever you are,_  
 _I don't care what you do._  
 _Just come to me, I'm waiting for you._  
 _Whatever it takes!_  
 _Every day my heart breaks,_  
 _Still here, waiting for you._

 _I took for granted our time together,_  
 _I really thought it would last forever._  
 _Now that you're gone, all that's left is tears._  
 _Never seeing you again? One of my greatest fears._  
 _I've fallen in love, I must admit,_  
 _And it's tearing me apart, bit by bit._

 _Where ever you are,_  
 _I don't care what you do._  
 _Just come to me, I'm waiting for you._  
 _Whatever it takes!_  
 _Every day my heart breaks,_  
 _Still here, waiting for you._

 _I wonder, can I survive without this romance?_  
 _Maybe I should get finally just say, 'I love you'._  
 _And if you say no, well, I did all I could do..._  
 _I don't care what happens, I'll take that chance._  
 _I don't know when that will happen,_  
 _Maybe today, but longer, I imagine._

 _Where ever you are,_  
 _I don't care what you do._  
 _Just come to me, I'm waiting for you._  
 _Whatever it takes._  
 _Every day my heart breaks,_  
 _Still here, waiting for you._

 _Waiting... Waiting here, for you..._

Eventually, the music ended and the saxophone player began to pack up his belongings. As the crowd began to disperse, she lingered in silent contemplation. She realized that the lyrics didn't apply to her situation at the moment, but they brought about feelings of hope nevertheless. She dug through her purse and grabbed a few silver coins, then approached the man and offered them to him.

The man studied her for a brief second, then accepted the coins graciously. "Thank you, ma'am, that's one of the most generous gifts I've gotten all week."

"No, thank _you_ ," she insisted. "Your music helped to clear my mind."

"Jus' how I do," he said before he left.

She kicked at the ground as she thought about what to do. Finding a place to stay for the night seemed like a good idea, but the evening was still young. She didn't want to be trapped in a hotel room all night, waiting for phone calls while she could be doing something more interesting with her time. The thought about reconnecting with some of her old university friends crossed her mind, but she remembered that most of them had moved out of the city by now. Then she remembered the VIP ticket that she was given, and buried her hand into her purse in search of it. With it in hand, she began to read from it:

 _Witness the performance of a lifetime, the biannual event that has taken Aughrim by storm for twelve straight years! This ticket admits one visitor to the Majesty of Aughrim coordination contest, scheduled for the 14th of May and held at the Cèilidh Gailearaidh on West Armory Street. Prepare to have your breath taken away as eight coordinators compete against each other for glory and the chance to be crowned the Lad or Lass of Aughrim!_

"West Armory, huh? Well? Now that I have nothing better to do..."

* * *

It was a quick and rather uneventful walk to the city's Old Towne district. Despite spending several years of her life in the city, Andrea had never taken the time to visit Old Towne. She felt overwhelmed as she attempted to navigate the winding alleyways that made up the core of the city, a fact made worse by the dim lighting the old street lamps offered. As a precaution, nearly everyone she came into close contact with was watched like a hawk, and anyone who looked even the least bit suspicious, angry or drunk was given a wide berth.

To avoid the thoughts about Tamara clouding her mind again, she tried to imagine the coordination contest she was about to attend. She knew very little about them, and Kimberly's description did little to paint any particular images in her imagination. 'It involves flashiness, showmanship and stunning visuals' she recalled, but what did that even mean? " _What should I expect to see? Fire juggling? Ice carving? Acrobatics? Horticulture displays?_ "

At last, she had arrived at the Cèilidh Gailearaidh, a large and imposing stone building that could grab the attention of even a blind man. Four brick spires towered into the sky, each tipped with crenellations and decorated with grisly-looking gargoyles from ages past. Enormous stained glass windows that depicted important events in Lanark's history lined the roughly chiseled walls. She'd never seen it in person before, and now she was kicking herself for never taking the time to.

One look at the entrance to the old building was all she needed to begin reconsidering how she would spend the rest of her night. "You've gotta be kidding me..."

A seemingly endless sea of people were gathered in front of the entrance. At first, it looked like there was little order to the crowd, but closer inspection revealed a long, snaking line penned in with red velvet ropes. She tried to count the number of people waiting, only to lose count somewhere around 65.

"Am I really going to wait in the cold..." she asked herself before she noticed a much smaller line near another entrance that was opposite from the crowded one. A large banner with the words 'VIP TICKET HOLDERS ENTER HERE' emblazoned on it was a warm welcome.

"Hello! Welcome to the Cèilidh Gailearaidh!" an attendant said as she approached. "Please have your VIP ticket ready!"

She dug through her purse and grabbed one of the tickets that Kimberly gave her, then handed it over.

The attendant grabbed the ticket and held it up to a scanner. "Let's see... Yep, this is right! Welcome to the show!" He grabbed a small pamphlet and a lanyard that was decorated with silver roses and handed them to her. "Here is your VIP access pass and a schedule for tonight's show. Enjoy!"

She slipped the lanyard around her neck and entered the building. She was greeted by a stately dressed young man who offered to escort her to the VIP section, an offer that she accepted. As they passed by the main entrance to the concert hall, she could see that the seating area was nearly filled to capacity in preparation for the show; there simply weren't enough seats left for the people waiting outside. If that was the case, she reasoned, then the night would at least be memorable.

The young man who was escorting her was awkwardly silent and rebuffed every effort she made at speaking with him, so instead, she studied her surroundings. The marbled halls were home to numerous paintings and works of art, from renaissance masterpieces to modern trash. Displays of medieval arms and armor decorated the empty spaces between the paintings. Important documents and books from the city's history were housed in glass containers. A lot of history called that hallway home, history that Andrea was interested in learning about, but now wasn't the time.

The two stopped at an unmarked doorway and the man knocked on the door.

"Yes? You can come in." a voice called from the other side.

The man opened the door and motioned for her to enter. She stepped inside and immediately recognized it as a green room, much to her surprise. "Umm, I'm not not here to compete tonight, sir, I'm looking-"

Kimberly was seated at the vanity on the far side of the room, applying some last minute touch ups to her appearance. A warm smile appeared on her face as she noticed Andrea in the mirror. "Andrea, you came!"

"I... I guess I did?" she replied. The confusion in her voice was obvious; she expected to be seated by now, not visiting one of the contestants. "I don't know why that guy brought me _here_ , but here I am."

"One of the perks of being a VIP ticket holder, friend. You get to visit the contestant who gave it to you before and after the show!" she said, adjusting the last of her eyeshadow. She took a moment to look at her work and found it to be unsatisfactory. "Ugh! I'm so bad at this!"

"Bad at what?"

"Makeup application! I don't know how to do it properly..."

She approached from behind to get a closer look in the mirror. "I think you did alright." Her compliment was met with silent skepticism, almost as if Kimberly was waiting to be told otherwise. "I guess it's a little sloppy near the corner of your right eye. Shouldn't be hard to fix."

Kimberly took another close look at herself in the mirror, but she could see more than just a sloppy application. She reached for a white cloth that was stained with nearly a dozen black smudges and began to rub away at her makeup. "Would it be correct of me to assume that your business partner never arrived?"

She sat down on a chair in the corner of the room. "Yeah, no sign of her. My boss can't find her, _her_ boss can't find her, her airline can't find her, the hotel she's supposed to stay at can't find her... The most we know is that she's here in Lanark somewhere. Beyond that?" She shook her head silently as she shrugged.

"That's worrying, to say the least." Kimberly placed the cloth back onto the table and grabbed the makeup brush again. "This may be a strange question, but... Could you help me with this?"

"Help?"

Kimberly offered the brush to her. "Don't take this as an insult as I don't mean it like that, but you seem like you're much better at this makeup thing than I am."

She took a moment to think it over before asking, "That won't break any competition rules, will it?"

"No. As I was arriving, I noticed that two of the other contestants had their own assistants. It's a common practice in these competitions."

She sheepishly accepted the brush and wondered where to begin. She considered herself a veteran of eyeshadow application and had spent years perfecting her own look, but all of that knowledge and confidence went out the window now that she was working on someone else. " _I'm going to screw this up, and then it'll be on me..._ " she thought to herself. "I'll try something subdued. I really only know how to do the prince of darkness look, but I doubt you want that. I don't think it'd fit the look you're going for."

"And what look would that be?"

She took a step back and studied Kimberly's appearance more closely. She was wearing a simple mint green pinstripe sun dress, embroidered with a dozen roses down the right side. Her outfit was anything but complex and gave off an ' _I'm fun, yet classy_ ' vibe. Her golden brown hair, on the other hand, was a complex mess of braids, twists and ribbons, yet it carried a touch of sophistication with it. She didn't know what to make of it. "You know, I'm not sure."

Kimberly closed her eyes and put her faith in Andrea as she began to apply some eyeshadow. "Neither am I, which has me slightly worried... I got a sneak peak at one of the other contestants, she was in the most gorgeous red dress I had ever seen! What I'm wearing simply _can not_ compete."

"What you're wearing can't be all that important, right? Aren't these shows all about the Pokémon and the tricks they do?"

Kimberly tried to remain still as she laughed. "Oh bless your little cotton socks! You really do know so little about coordination... You'll soon see what it's all about!" A few minutes passed without a response from Andrea, so she asked, "What will you do if you never meet with your business partner?"

She took a step back and studied her work. She found it satisfactory enough, but wasn't sure if it matched the look that Kimberly sported. "I honestly don't know. I'll probably head back to Loch Alstan, I can't travel the roads alone, it's way too dangerous."

"Yes, the roads are quite nasty for the unprepared..."

"You can say that again. I learned that first hand before I came here."

The door opened and an attendant's head popped in. "Ten minutes until the show begins, ladies." he said before closing the door again.

"Hasn't that guy ever heard of knocking? You're lucky you were dressed!" Andrea joked.

Kimberly stood up and made some last minute adjustments to her hair in the mirror. She noticed that her hand was shaking lightly and tried her best to calm herself. "Oh dear... Nervousness is setting in... This is my first big competition."

"Heh. Just have a little faith, you'll do fine." she said.

With a few deep breaths and a few repetitions of "Confidence is key..." she nodded. "Even if I don't do well tonight, I'll have learned some valuable lessons for next time."

"If you don't mind, I'll get out of your hair. I have to find my seat, still..."

"By all means. Thank you for stopping by, friend!" Before Andrea could get far, she approached the door and called out into the hallway, "Oh! One last thing! I'll be returning to this room after my performances. Would you care to join me?"

Andrea stopped in her tracks and paused for a brief moment. "Sure, why not? See you soon."


	10. Chapter 9: The Eight

The stage went dark. A live orchestra began to play a rendition of the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3. As the dulcet tones of the music filled the auditorium hall, a young woman in a crisp white suit began to approach the center of the stage, still cloaked in darkness. When she reached the center, spotlights turned on and focused on her position. The orchestra continued, but began to soften in preparation for her speech.

"Thank you all for coming tonight, and welcome to the 25th Majesty of Aughrim coordination contest, hosted here at the Cèilidh Gailearaidh! My name is Emma Welton and I'll be your host for the evening, as well as a member of tonight's judging panel." She made a motion towards a table that sat in front of the crowd, beckoning the two who were seated to come on stage. "Please, give my colleagues a warm welcome!"

The crowd cheered as a regally-dressed elderly woman and an equally sharply dressed young man climbed the steps to the stage.

The man bowed before the crowd. " _Saluti!_ It is an honor to be here in Lanark." he said in a thick, nearly unintelligible accent. "I am Leonardo Bertucci, purveyor of fine arts, fine wines and fine women!" he said with a laugh. "I have been judging these contests for nearly ten years now, and every one of them is a treat filled with new experiences. This is a fantastic opportunity, not just for me, but for you as well! Tonight, we will be captivated by some fresh talent and witness the birth of many promising careers!"

The crowd could barely understand him, but cheered anyways.

The elderly woman stepped forward and waved to the crowd with a warm smile. "Hello! Big crowd tonight! We barely had a dozen guests when I used to participate in these events, all those years ago..." she said. "I suppose you're wondering who I am! My name is Rosemary White, and I've been a coordinator for nearly fifty years now... Even won myself a few Ribbon Cups in my day. 22 of them, in fact!"

The crowd erupted with delight.

She let out a bemused chuckle and motioned for the crowd to be quiet. "Thank you, thank you. You humble me! As one of the early pioneers of coordination, I am very passionate about this sport, and it warms my heart to see that are you as well. But! The thing that warms my heart the most are our eight contestants that will be performing tonight. To see the traditions of old carried on by our newest generation is all I could ever ask for!"

"Well said, Mrs. White! Now, with us out of the way, let's welcome the true stars of the night, our contestants!"

A roaring cacophony echoed through the concert hall as the crowd eagerly awaited the beginning of the show.

"Our first contestant is from the city of Steelport, Simone Reed!" A young woman with fiery red hair and a matching red ballgown approached from the left side of the stage. As she did so, Emma continued, "Mrs. Reed has a distinguished eight year career as a Royal Navy subcommander. She's served as a coast guard reserve for the first four years of her career, which was followed by two tours of duty as an ordnance officer aboard the HMS Purity during its lengthy patrol of the Ranaa Gulf. Let's give a hand for this brave woman!"

"Thank you," Simone said in a reserved manner.

"Let me start by thanking you for your service. I can only begin to imagine how terrifying it must have been to serve in an active combat zone."

"Terrifying is putting it lightly. I'll never forget the night the hull of our ship was breached by an explosion and we were forced into a hostile port for emergency repairs. It's not easy to pick up a rifle and protect your fellow engineers when you've been promised a relatively relaxed patrol assignment..." She took a moment to study the crowd before her, then took a deep breath. "Gods, it's good to be home, and I'm happy that chapter of my life is finally finished."

As Simone stepped off towards the back of the stage, Emma continued with her introductions. "Our next contestant also has a military past. From the frosty steppes of Kanetsk, please welcome Senna Kros... Kr... Krostovj? Yes, Krostovj!" She looked down towards a card she held in her hand. "She is a retired colonel from the Peoples' Liberation Army of the Great Republic of Kanetsk, 32nd division of the General Infantry. I hope I've said all of that correctly."

A spotlight focused on the right side of the stage and the crowd began to cheer, but nobody emerged from behind the curtains. Emma quickly studied the card in her hands once again, then made a beckoning gesture towards the side of the stage. After a few brief moments of confusion, a woman in a striking black jacket and matching knee-length skirt approached the center of the stage. Her outfit was easily identified by just about anyone as the formal uniform of the Kanetsk armed forces. Long, crimped blonde hair flowed out from under the peaked hat that sat atop her head. There was a rigid efficiency in her movement and her posture was stiff as a board.

"There she is!" Emma said.

Senna offered the crowd a sharp salute. "Sorry. Understanding of your language is... uhh..." she said, stopping for a moment to think. "Is not very well."

"Are you enjoying this country so far?" Emma asked.

" _Da,_ " she said with a nod. "Lanark very hospitable. Very generous. Much nicer than motherland. Much warmer, too!"

"I'm glad to hear it!" Emma said. "Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?"

"I am accomplished trainer of Pokémon. I have earned eight... badges, is word? And I have competed in Kanetsk League challenge and earned championship. There not much left to learn, so I have moved onto new branch of Pokémon ownership. Like in League challenge, I will bring glory to Kanetsk!"

"Well! This should be interesting to see! Thank you!" She made a motioning gesture towards the back of the stage. "Onto our next contestant! He has come to us all the way from Kalos! Unlike the rest of the competitors here, this is not his first official coordination contest; he has competed across his home country and earned two ribbons during his travels. Please, give a warm Lanark welcome to Jean-Luc De la Rivière!"

A man in a sharp-looking burgundy tuxedo emerged from behind the curtains on the left side of the stage. There was a jolly spring in his step as he waved towards the cheering crowd. He stopped in the center of the stage and doffed his towering burgundy top hat. " _Bonjour!_ " he said in his native tongue, tinged with a heavy Kalosian accent. "Thank you for the warm welcome to your country! I look forward to achieving many great things with your support!"

"This isn't your first contest, as I've noted, yet you're still here in the beginner's circle. That was your choice, and you _are_ allowed to make it, but... I'm curious... Why? Why not move onto the next tier?"

"I do not feel that I'm ready for the next step of the journey," he said. "I'm sure you're familiar with the corruption scandals that plague the Kalosian Coordinator's Guild. Many top coordinators of the beginner's circle were disqualified following the investigations, and since I was one of the few not linked to the scandal, I was given the ribbons as an honorary gesture. I didn't earn them, and that's a terrible way to start my career. I am here to prove my worth and earn them fairly."

"That's understandable. Let's just hope that your prior experience offers a fair competition for the rest of the contestants!" she said.

"Let us hope. I'm not here to crush dreams unfairly." After a courteous bow, Jean-Luc joined Simone and Senna at the back of the stage.

"Next on the list is a wealthy heiress right here from our home country of Lanark! Her father is a world class chef and the owner of the Gilded Rose, one of the country's most highly rated restaurants! Her mother coordinates the relief efforts and charity work of the Valence Foundation, with their most recent work focusing on those displaced by the devastating Cold Harbor earthquake in Glastonfell this past December. Please, give a round of applause for our next contestant, Kimberly Fairbrooke!"

Kimberly emerged from the right side of the stage. As she approached the center of the stage, she blew a kiss towards the crowd, causing an upsurge in cheering.

"I've heard of you, Kimberly, but I don't know anything about you," Emma commented. "Your parents are very famous, and rightfully so, but you've slipped under the radar somehow. Tell us a little bit about yourself!"

"I'm not sure what there is to say, really. I'm just a privileged young woman looking to make her mark on the world. I haven't figured out what that mark may be... Coordination is my next attempt to find my purpose in life."

"Why not follow in your parents' footsteps?"

"First, I'm a terrible cook. It's likely that I could burn water if I put my mind to it."

The crowd livened up with laughter.

"Second... while charity work with my mother is certainly rewarding, it's not for me. She spends a lot of time in some of the worst places in the world. If the circumstances aren't heartbreaking, they're terrifying and fraught with danger. I can't do it. However, if I do succeed at this as a career, any proceeds I earn will go to my mother's organization."

"Understandable, and you'll still be doing good work if you succeed. Thank you for coming tonight!" With a wave of her arm, she dismissed Kimberly towards the back of the stage with the other competitors. "Now, our next contestant left a _lot_ of information on her application blank, so she's just as much a mystery to us as she will be to you folks in the audience. Please, welcome Chrysanthemum!"

The spotlights focused on the left curtains and a young woman with a black trenchcoat, black boots, black visor sunglasses and icy blue hair walked on stage. Glowing neon lines that matched her hair color ran along the contours of her clothing and boots. Unlike the other contestants, her interaction with the crowd was minimal, which may have been responsible for the mixed reaction she received.

"Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, Chrysanthemum? We're all a little in the dark here, and I'm sure the audience would like to get to know you." Emma commented.

Chrysanthemum stood in the center of the stage like a statue, completely silent. She didn't even turn to acknowledge Emma's presence.

"I guess the silent treatment is part of some sort of gimmick?"

After another brief moment of silence and further murmuring from the crowd, she broke character and turned her head towards Emma. She lifted her black visor to show off a pair of amber eyes. "Yes." Just as quickly as she broke character, she returned to her statuesque pose quickly afterward.

"Gotcha! It's not often we have... 'characters' such as yours show up at these events, but it's still lovely to have you!"

With a smirk and a shrug, Chrysanthemum took her place at the back of the stage with the other contestants.

"Next up, we have Chelsea Griffith!" She looked down at the card in her hand and paused for a moment. "She's a... uhh... a professional dancer, and... umm... and she's a common sight around one of Aughrim's popular night clubs! Let's hear it for Chelsea!"

There was a mixed reaction from the crowd as a scantily clad, poorly dressed young woman walked out onto the stage from the right side. Most seemed perplexed by her presence and her abnormally 'normal' appearance, a sharp contrast to the other contestants who wore suits, dresses or formal uniforms. Still she had a rather vocal following within the crowd; they were few in number, but they chanted her name loudly, made obscene gestures and professed their love for her.

"C'mon lady, you don't gotta say it like that. Introduce me properly!" Chelsea demanded.

She was caught off guard by Chelsea's brusque mannerisms and retreated to the card in her hand for safety. "Oh, uh..." She adjusted her posture, put a smile on her face, took a deep breath and motioned towards the angry young woman. "This is Chelsea Griffith, but she's more commonly known by her stage name, Twinkle. She's the star dancer at the... oh lord... Tit for Tat Gentleman's Club. She usually works between the hours..." she paused, then stood her ground. "Look, I'm not going to advertise for a stripper. Not on national television."

"Whatever, ya stuck up bitch," Chelsea chided before taking her place at the back of the stage.

She clasped her hands together, happy for the encounter to be over. "Right! Moving on! Next, we have an actress joining us tonight! Many may know her for her breakout performance as Ophelia in the Grapewood Theatre rendition of the classical play, _Hamlet_! This is the first coordination contest of her budding career as a cultural superstar, so let's give a round of applause for Samantha Ashwoode!"

Another young woman entered from stage left to a storm of applause and raucous cheering. Her outfit was easily the most opulent among the other contestants; a white silk dress flowed elegantly around her and the ornate gold detailing on it caught the light perfectly. Around her wrists were glittering golden bangles, decorated with rubies and ornate celtic knots. A crown of bright red orchids rested atop her long, braided red hair.

"I recognize that outfit," Emma said. "That's Ophelia's wardrobe from the play, isn't it?"

Samantha nodded. "Almost. It's a replica some friends and I put together in our spare time. It's not quite perfect, but it's close enough."

"I wouldn't have known otherwise! Well! Tell us a little about yourself!"

"I've wanted to be an actress all my life... I grew up in a little town just outside of Aughrim, my parents owned a tavern there. I was usually entertaining the guests with my stupid stories or my singing... my mom told me I had a real talent for it, so she put me through the Lanark Center of the Arts' rising star program. Fast forward a couple years and I'm headlining one of the most popular plays in all of theatrical arts."

"Are you looking to expand your horizons here?"

She shook her head. "Nah, this is just a hobby. I don't know if I'll take it seriously. My real place is on the stage at the Grapewood Theatre." Without a prompt, she joined the other six contestants at the back of the stage.

"And with that, we come to our last contestant. War in his homeland has brought him and thousands like him to our shores as refugees. He has come to this land seeking peace, prosperity, and the chance to rebuild what once was. I present to you the founder of the Durandas Relief Fund, Hoster Burnett!"

A man in a simple outfit, blue jeans and a tucked in white button shirt, approached the stage from the right. He waved to the cheering crowd and bowed gracefully when he reached the center.

"So tell us a little bit about yourself, Mr. Burnett."

"Thank you. My name is Hoster Burnett, and as you've just heard, I run the Durandas Relief Fund. We are dedicated to retaking and rebuilding my homeland, to ensure that war is a quaint foot note in history and not our eternal future. My group has unfortunately struggled to gain recognition or support from the international community... Like my fellow contestant, Ms. Fairbrooke, any proceeds I earn from these competitions will go directly towards helping my people to reclaim our homeland and rebuild what once was. That is all I want from this venture, fame and glory are unimportant. Thank you for your time, and thank _you_ , people of Lanark, for showing me that there is still some good left in this world."

"You'll be glad to know, Mr. Burnett, that this competition is being televised across the country. Perhaps someone watching out there will be moved by your story and agree to help?"

"I would be most gracious."

"At last, all of our contestants have been introduced and allowed an opportunity to speak about themselves, so now let's move onto the action!" Emma announced.

The crowd went wild.

Leonardo stepped forward and began to lay out the rules. "This competition will be divided into two brackets of four competitors each and it will follow single-elimination rules. Each contestant has agreed to a static team of three that they're working with. If a contestant calls on a Pokémon that is not on this team, they will be immediately disqualified."

Rosemary continued the explanation. "Scoring will be on a scale of one to ten and based on execution, 'wow' factor and originality. Each of a contestant's three Pokémon will show off their best moves. They may do this on their own, with the assistance of their coordinator or with the assistance of props. After each performance, we will give our scores before the opponent's turn begins."

Emma nodded, then added her own caveat, "There will be some minor alterations to the rules, since not all of our contestants have three Pokémon to work with. Those below the limit of three must still perform three times to qualify for the next round."

"Yes, that is correct,"

"Now, let's move onto the brackets. In our first bracket, we'll have Ms. Krostovj paired up against Ms. Fairbrooke, and Ms. Griffith paired up against Mr. Burnett. Our second bracket will see Mrs. Reed pitted against Mr. De la Rivière, followed up by Chrysanthemum and Ms. Ashwoode. We'll be right back with the first match after this quick commercial break!"


	11. Chapter 10: Wintersong

" _Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the 25th Majesty of Aughrim coordination contest! Our contestants have been introduced and the rules explained, so let's dive right into the action! Our first match up is between Senna Krostovj and Kimberly Fairbrooke. The match is set to begin, so let's see what happens!_ "

The lights faded, leaving only two spotlights; one focused on Kimberly, who waited at the left side of the stage, while the other focused on Senna, who stood like a statue at the right. The orchestra began to play some soft music as they approached one another and met in the middle. They greeted each other with a hand shake.

"Udachi," Senna said in her native language. "It means good luck. I will not relent."

"Good luck to you as well, friend," Kimberly responded. "The stage is yours, you're performing first."

"Da." As Kimberly walked away, Senna reached into the vest pocket of her uniform. She pulled out a small, black, cube-shaped object that was covered in pulsating red lights and lines, then dropped it to the floor. The tiny object flared open into a dozen subsections and a pale red light began to shine above them. The vague shape of a crystalline creature appeared, glinting with a shower of static-like red sparks.

" _A fantastic and... positively strange entrance! I've never seen something like that._ " Emma commented.

" _A common sight in her homeland, Emma,_ " Rosemary added. " _Not many people in Kanetsk use Pokéballs. Instead, they favor the Capture Cluster. Quite an interesting little piece of technology they've developed, and a relic of a different time._ "

As the red sparks faded, the Pokémon inside began to take shape. The creature had the vague shape of a flower, but was composed entirely of shimmering ice shards. A rounded crown of red and pink shards gently floated above a central pillar of green-tinged shards. A thin fog swirled around the base of the creature, and as it moved around, the shards that made up the stem rumbled about like stones caught in the current of a mighty river.

" _For her first Pokémon, Senna has chosen the mysterious creature known as Snowbelle, which is also a common sight in her homeland. Let's see what she does with it._ "

Senna pointed to the center of the stage and the Snowbelle began to rumble over. As it did so, she issued a lengthy command in her native language. Several of the ice shards that made up the creature split away from it and began to swirl through the air until they eventually came to rest a few feet above the stage.

"Nachat," she said.

A bitter cold wind blew through the auditorium as the largest shard began to vibrate aggressively, and with it came a deep, resonating tone. The next largest shard started to vibrate as the previous one stopped, and the process repeated until the tiniest one let out a high pitched squeal. After a few seconds of silence, the shards began to resonate together in a manner that resembled music.

" _This is interesting! It appears she's using her Pokémon to play a song! Is that her country's national anthem I hear?_ "

" _It's a little sloppy, but yes._ "

Snowflakes began to form in the frigid air as the music continued. Senna started a march across the stage with a rigid gait, and when she reached the edge of the stage, she stamped down hard and offered a salute to the crowd. As she did so, the music hit a crescendo and the snowflakes fluttering through the air whipped about in a flurry. She began her march back across the stage, and once again the music grew louder and the wind grew colder when she stopped to offer another salute.

" _A very patriotic performance! You don't see much like this these days!_ "

The crowd was hardly amused and remained silent for much of the performance.

" _I don't think the crowd is buying it, Leonardo,_ " Emma commented. " _Not surprising, considering the current geopolitical climate. Not many people have a high opinion of her homeland these days._ "

" _A shame, really. I think it's well executed for what it is._ "

As the music ended, silence filled the auditorium. There was very little applause among the crowd; instead, they murmured amongst themselves in wonder as Senna and her Snowbelle stepped off to the side of the stage. The judges held up score cards: Emma gave the display a score of six, Leonardo rated it an eight and Rosemary offered a neutral score of five.

" _And there you have it, ladies and gentlemen, our first performance of the night! Senna and her Snowbelle wowed us with a bizarre yet accurate musical rendition of her national anthem! Let's watch and see how her opponent, Kimberly, counters that display._ "

A spotlight focused on Kimberly and she took a deep breath to ready herself for her first ever coordination performance. She reached down towards the red ribbon that dangled from her waistline and grabbed a gem studded purple Pokéball, then held it skyward.

" _Is that a Master Ball I see? I thought she was only a hobbyist._ "

She tossed the Master Ball into the air and it exploded with a radial burst of giant bubbles. A large blue turtle-like creature appeared above the stage and crashed down onto it with an audible thud. Large steel cannons jutted from the top of the creature's shell, just above its broad and muscled shoulders.

" _And it's a Blastoise! I think this is the first time I've seen one of them compete in a coordination contest, and I've been covering these events for years!_ " Emma commented.

" _Yes, it's not a popular choice,_ " Rosemary added. " _I remember seeing just two in all of the years I spent as a coordinator myself. I must admit, I don't see why Blastoise is not a more common sight, it's a very versatile species._ "

" _Perhaps it is the imposing and powerful appearance it commands,_ " Leonardo offered. " _In any event, let's see what tricks it has hidden away in that shell._ "

Kimberly timidly approached the Blastoise and rested her hand on his shell. "Juliano, I'm in the mood for bubbles. Are you?"

Juliano dropped to one knee and the cannons sprouting from within his shell began to calibrate themselves to a new position. A thin, glossy film formed at the end of the left cannon, and before long, a large bubble had drifted out of it. The bubble gently floated upward and as it did so, slowly started to take the shape of a fish. Afterwards, another bubble formed on his right cannon, and when it lifted into the air, it took the shape of a bird.

" _Interesting approach with the Blastoise. A classic!_ "

More shapes began to form. A star. A Pokéball. An apple. A heart. Some more complicated shapes took shape next, including the likes of a ring, an open clam shell, a rounded pyramid and a sailboat. The crowd was eating it up!

"One more bubble. Just like we practiced." she said. She stood in the center of the stage as Juliano exerted a lot of energy into the largest bubble of the batch. The bubble was round in shape and lacked any special features, prompting the crowd to wonder what was so special about it. The bubble gently floated above Kimberly, then began to descend over her. She tried her hardest to stand motionless like a statue as the bubble dipped over her head and slowly enveloped her. Before long, her entire body was within the bubble. She ended the performance by spreading her arms out wide before the bubble finally popped into a refreshing mist.

" _Now that's a new take an old routine! I've never actually seen anyone successfully manage to wrap a bubble around themselves before!_ " Emma commented as she raised a card with the number seven on it.

" _Indeed, quite impressive!_ " Rosemary said while adding her own score of seven.

Leonardo refrained from commentary, but offered yet another score of seven.

" _With the first two performances out of the way, our contestants move onto their second Pokémon! Senna is up next, let's watch._ "

Senna stepped forward once again and grabbed another of her Capture Clusters from her pocket. The cluster was dropped to the ground and it popped into a dozen pieces, and with a shining red light, the outline of another turtle-like creature appeared. The bluish-green creature sported a jet black shell that was covered in algae, barnacles, numerous scratches and pockmarks. It slowly pulled itself towards the center of the stage with its leathery flippers.

" _Is that a Tirtouga? Now_ this _is unexpected!_ " Rosemary commented.

" _I thought they were extinct..._ " Emma added.

" _As far as I know, they're supposed to be. This should be interesting._ "

"She take plan routine..." Senna said with a tone of annoyance in her voice. "No matter, Rakushka. We improvise." She took a step back and issued another lengthy command in her native language.

Rakushka perked up and pushed himself as high as his front flippers could take his, then began to spit streams of water high into the air. Before the water landed on the floor, he homed in on each and shot a concentrated beams of frigid air at each; a few missed, but those that made contact froze the water instantly. The chunks of ice rained down onto the stage and smashed on impact, each dispersing with a puff of bitter fog.

" _This is shaping up to be an icy performance!_ "

" _I don't like it, it's getting a little cold in here._ "

The crowd reacted favorably to the display, although the energy dispersed pretty quickly when Senna offered yet another of her country's traditional salutes.

" _Ouch. She isn't playing off of the crowd very well, is she?_ " Leonardo commented. He raised a card with the number seven on it. " _What did you think, ladies?_ "

Rosemary offered a scathing score of four. " _She said she wanted to improvise that one, and you could tell she did just that. It was nothing special, and her Tirtouga's accuracy was subpar._ "

" _I..._ " Emma started before holding her tongue. She raised a card with a score of five on it. " _I don't think it was that bad for something improvised on the fly. But I think we can all agree that we'd have much rather preferred she stuck to her original plan, regardless of the other contestant's performance._ "

With the stage cleared, Kimberly approached the center once again. In her hand was her Skitty's custom made fuzzy Feline Ball, which she gently tossed down to the floor. The ball exploded with a bright flash of white light and a shower of cartoonish rainbow stars. Telandra appeared on the stage and looked at her surroundings, but her attention was immediately captured by the fluffy tuft of fur at the end of her tail.

She turned around to get a closer look, but was surprised to see it elude her. Intent on catching her own tail, she bounced around in circles in a playful manner, chasing and chasing endlessly. She dove, she tackled, she rolled and she swung her paws, but her efforts were fruitless. Her adorable display drew out an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the crowd and judges alike.

" _Look at that adorable Skitty! And look at how..._ purrfect _it looks! This contestant has clearly put in a lot of effort towards grooming her Skitty's luxuriously soft fur!_ "

She knelt down and called out to Telandra. On the verge of finally capturing her elusive tail, she heard her name called out and trotted over to Kimberly then began to aggressively rub up against her master's ankle.

"This is our first performance together, Telandra, so it's important that we do well. Let's do the ring routine, just like we practiced."

Telandra returned to the center of the stage, then began to pace around in small, tight circles. Her tail twitched and glowed with an icy white light and the air around her cooled rapidly. A thick haze surrounded the Skitty and started to coalesce into individual shards of ice. The shards hung in the air like fluffy dandelion seeds, and with a deep growl, they took the shape of a ring.

" _More ice? There's a definite theme here tonight, folks!_ "

Kimberly nodded. "Very good, Telandra. Now, time for some tricks! Start off simple."

Telandra shuffled off to the right side of the stage and turned around. With a running start, she jumped high into the air and tumbled through the center of the ring. She landed gracefully on her feet and twirled in place before turning around to line up another jump. With a deft leap into the air, she somersaulted through the hoop. Another jump was followed by a back flip, while yet another involved a barrel roll.

"And now for the finale! You can do it, Telandra!"

Electrical sparks flashed through her fur as Telandra took one last running start. She jumped with all of her might, and when she reached the center of the ring, she discharged a massive bolt of electricity outward. A concussive blast blew throughout the auditorium and the ice crystals that once made up the hoop lay shattered on the floor.

" _Classic, but impressive! It takes a lot of guts to perform something so simple in a contest like this, but it also takes a lot of skill to pull it off so flawlessly!_ " Emma said. She gave the performance a score of nine!

Rosemary held up a card with an eight on it. " _Brings me back to my youth, when these kinds of tricks were the standard. I wouldn't say it was flawless, but it was certainly very well done._ "

" _It was well done, admittedly, but it was just an old circus trick,_ " Leonardo added, with his own score of five. " _Let's see what Senna has in store for us for her final performance of the match._ "

Senna stepped forward one last time with another Capture Cluster in her hands. With a drop to the floor and an audible pop, the outline of a large aquatic creature that resembled a plesiosaur appeared on the stage. The creature's scaly skin was mostly black, but it also featured a white underside that ran from the tip of its jaw down towards its belly, and more white spots around its eyes. On its back sat a wickedly sharp spiked shell, encrusted in a thick sheet of ice.

" _Now that's an interesting Lapras. I've never seen one like it before!_ "

" _This majestic sea creature is out of its depth... pardon the pun. How will it perform on dry land? Let's watch._ "

Senna placed her arm on the Lapras' neck as she listened closely to her softly-spoken command. With an understanding between the two, the Lapras flopped her way towards the center of the stage at a snail's pace. When she finally reached the center, she closed her eyes and opened her mouth. A gently flashing pink light began to form in the back of her mouth and slowly grew in brightness. She let out a calming hum as the light surged out of her mouth in a wide arc.

It was a slow process, but the light took on a physical presence in the shape of the aurora borealis, gently wafting from side to side in a ribbon-like manner as it pulsed through numerous colors of the rainbow. Glittering stars of all colors formed within the ribbon of light, following the ebb and flow of the movement at times and being absorbed back inside at other times. The crowd watched with amazement.

" _So colorful..._ "

With the light show over, Senna approached her Lapras and took a bow before the cheering crowd. She instinctively raised her hand for a salute, but stopped herself halfway. Instead, she rolled the sleeve of her uniform jacket up to reveal an odd device on her wrist that shared a similar color scheme to her Capture Clusters, then placed one of them into a slot found on it. With a press of a button on the device, a red beam of energy shot out towards the Lapras and it disappeared with a puff of digital smoke.

" _How do we feel about this one, ladies?_ " Leonardo asked, scoring the performance with a nine.

Emma held up a card with an eight on it. " _Very pretty. I was originally going to give this performance a seven, but she stuck to a consistent theme, so I'll throw in a bonus point._ "

" _I could list a number of problems with that performance, from the time it took to the mismatch of colors. Green does not flow well into pink, I'm afraid._ " Despite the problems she had with it, Rosemary scored it with a six.

With Senna off of the stage, Kimberly patted her Blastoise on the back and they both walked to the center of the stage. She calmly reminded herself that this was the final performance of the first round and her last chance to earn a decisive victory. She was nervous about what her and Juliano were about to do, however.

" _And here is Kimberly's final performance of the match, accompanied yet again by her Blastoise. She's one of the two contestants tonight who does not have three Pokémon of her own, so let's see if she can pull anything interesting out of her sleeve._ "

"This is it, Juliano. Let's win this. How about we show them your impressive strength?"

Juliano nodded as she motioned for him to lower his arms. He cupped his stubby, clawed hands together and allowed her to step into them. With her footing secure, he effortlessly lifted her into the air above his head.

"Now for a flip!" she called out.

Expecting to see Kimberly do the flip herself, everyone in the auditorium was surprised to see something different; with a hefty toss, Kimberly went soaring into the air and Juliano himself performed not just one, but a double back flip. With an earthshaking thud, he landed on his feet perfectly and held his arms outward. He looked up for a brief moment to find his master and caught her before she fell to the floor. He let her down and joined her in extending their arms outward as the crowd began to cheer.

" _Did I just see that?_ " Emma asked. " _Blastoise is one of the least dexterous Pokémon, I never imagined I'd see one flawlessly perform a double back flip like that. You can tell that a lot of time was spent practicing this simple routine._ " She gave the performance a score of eight.

" _I'm really appreciating this down to earth style of hers,_ " Rosemary said. " _Sometimes simplicity is all that is needed in situations like these, especially if they're jazzed up as we saw with Juliano's back flips._ " She ended her analysis with a score of nine!

Leonardo, on the other hand, wasn't as impressed. " _Simple is a good way to describe it, yes. I'm afraid that simple doesn't work these days, Rosemary. We haven't been in the 1900s for a very long time._ " he said. He half-heartedly raised a card with the number four on it.

" _To each their own,_ " Rosemary responded. " _Well, with their performances complete, let's join the contestants on the stage, shall we?_ "

The three judges, the two contestants and their Pokémon all converged at the center of the stage, taking the time to wait for the sluggish Tirtouga to flop over to them.

Emma stepped forward. "There you have it, folks, the first match up of the night! Let's hear it for our two contestants, Kimberly Fairbrooke and Senna Krostovj!"

The crowd began cheering, with large sections of the audience offering a standing ovation to the two competitors.

"Those who are joining us on our televised broadcast already know the scores we've been giving out, but let's recap for those of us here at the Cèilidh Gailearaidh. Can we have the screen display the scores, please?" A massive screen at the back of the stage turned on and showed the portraits of both Kimberly and Senna on opposite sides. "We'll start with the scores in the order of the performances."

Rosemary stepped forward and began with the scoring. "Ms. Krostovj, for your Snowbelle's performance, your scores were 6, 8 and 5. All together, they average out to 6.3." She turned to Kimberly next. "And you, Ms. Fairbrooke, the scoring for your Blastoise's performance was a solid 7 across the board."

Kimberly simply nodded at the numbers, while Senna crossed her arms and shifted her weight back onto her left leg, as if the judgement had annoyed her.

Leonardo offered some analysis next. "For the second part of this round, Senna, your Tortouga scored 5, 4 and 7, which averages to 5.3"

Senna looked off to the side in annoyance, but she held her tongue.

"And you, Kimberly, Your Skitty's scores were 9, 8 and 5, an average of 7.3."

A smile appeared on her face, but she tried to subdue it as much as she could for fear of being rude to her competitor. Instead, she simply nodded once again. "Understood."

Emma stepped up for the last of the scores. "Your final score, Senna, following your Lapras' performance, was a 6.3, the average of 7, 7 and 8. You really shined with that final performance." She motioned towards Kimberly. "Kimberly, your Blastoise earned a score of 7.6, averaging individual scores of 8, 6 and 9."

Rosemary offered some final commentary. "We determine the winner by averaging the scores of the three rounds together. When all is said and done, Senna's average was a 6.3. A solid performance, but it was dragged down by the improvised display your Tirtouga gave us."

"Perhaps Rakushka and I should have stuck to plan," Senna responded. She had already done the math in her head and knew what was coming next.

"Kimberly's final score was 7.3, which makes her the winner of this round! Congratulations, Kimberly, you're moving on!"

Kimberly tried to contain her excitement as best as she could, adhering to the tenets of sportsmanship. "Thank you! Thank you... I... I don't know what to say!"

"You don't need to say anything, if you don't want to."

She turned to Senna and offered to shake her hand. "It was fun competing against you! I was worried for a bit that I might lose, you're really good at this!"

Senna shook her hand, as well as her head. "Not good enough. But this is learning process. I will be ready next time. I wish you best of luck."

" _That's it for our first match! Up next, we have Hoster Burnett and Chelsea Griffith competing against each other, so stay tuned! We'll be right back after a word from our sponsors!_ "

* * *

Kimberly was seated in her wardrobe room, watching the beginning of the next match up of the night, Hoster vs. Chelsea. She clutched a sleeping and purring Telandra in her arms as an effort to keep herself calm; she was visibly shaking, both from the excitement of moving onto the next round and the nervousness of knowing she'd have to step out onto the stage again. "We did well, Tela..." she said. "I can only hope that the next round goes as smoothly."

There was a knock at the door.

"You may enter!" she said.

The door swung open and Andrea stepped in. She extended her arms out in excitement. "Hey! Congratulations for making it to the second round!"

"Thank you, friend!" she said. "Thank you for stopping by again... This would be a boring hour and a half without someone to chat with."

Andrea pulled up a chair next to her and sat down. As she began to pet the resting Telandra, she asked, "Hour and a half?"

"The second round doesn't begin until after 10 PM," she started.

Her attention was quickly grabbed by what appeared on the TV screen; Chelsea was just beginning her performance, accompanied by a Machoke seated on a chair in the center of the stage. As the camera focused on the Machoke, Chelsea entered from the left side of the screen and began to sensually rub her Machoke's shoulders. Within seconds, she was grinding up against him and rubbing all over his lap. Before long, the broadcast cut towards a view of the judges, and all three of them had looks of horror on their faces. A few seconds later, the screen went blank and _'WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK!'_ appeared on the screen.

She quivered at the sight. "By the gods, what is that lady doing?! Is this contest a joke to her?!"

Kimberly's horror was contrasted with Andrea's amusement. "Ha! That's one way to advertise what you do for a living!"

"That's not funny! Coordinators have been struggling for decades to achieve mainstream recognition, and she may have just undone so much of the progress our predecessors made..."

Andrea could feel that her choice of words was genuinely hurtful and offered her sincere apologies. "I'm sorry, I really shouldn't laugh... This is obviously important to you, otherwise you wouldn't be doing it. And you're doing a good job at it, too!"

"Really?"

"Well... I think, at least. I don't know anything about these contests but the crowd loved you!"

"What do _you_ think? Are you enjoying it?"

"Yeah, I am! I was skeptical, but I'm glad I came tonight... it's been a nice escape from what's been going on."

She motioned towards the TV, which was still displaying an intermission. "Hopefully we can continue to enjoy the show... when it returns."


	12. Chapter 11: A Charitable Duel

" _Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, to the 25th Majesty of Aughrim coordination contest! If you are just joining us, we've moved onto the second round of competitions! The first round was certainly something, full of breath taking performances... in one way or another!_ " Emma announced.

" _Yes, I'm still trying to scrub my mind of the filth that I saw during the match between Mr. Burnett and Ms. Griffith._ " Rosemary commented.

" _Yes, for those of you joining us via our televised broadcast, Chelsea broke the rules of the contest and was disqualified for her appalling display. We apologize to those who were subjected to that!_ " Emma explained.

" _Indeed. As a result, Mr. Burnett has been pushed into the second round. Joining him in the second round is Kimberly Fairbrooke, his upcoming opponent. On the other end of the bracket, we have Samantha Ashwoode and Jean-Luc De la Rivière, both of whom have passed into the second round with decisive victories._ " Rosemary said.

Emma nodded. " _Quite a stunning performance out of Jean-Luc, right? I'd argue that he was the star of each of his performances, more so than his Pokémon! I've never seen the human body bend and move like that!_ "

" _Not surprising, considering his history as a circus performer. While Mr. De la Rivière broke from coordinator tradition by being the main attraction of his routine tonight, he hasn't broken any rules. Let's see if his strategy continues to pay off here in the second round._ "

" _I quite liked Samantha's performance myself,_ " Leonardo said. " _While the rest of our contestants seemed more comfortable sticking to distinct themes, Samantha was much more varied in her approach. I'll be looking forward to seeing more from her._ "

" _It's shaping up to be a great night here at the Cèilidh Gailearaidh! The next match between Kimberly Fairbrooke and Hoster Burnett is set to begin, let's watch._ "

The two competitors were stood in the center of the stage. After a quick wave from the both of them to the cheering crowd, Kimberly offered her hand towards Hoster for a friendly shake. "Good luck, Mr. Burnett."

Rather than shake her hand, he grabbed it and raised it, planting a kiss on the back of it.

The surprising gesture caught her off guard and her cheeks glowed red with nervousness. "Oh my! Such a gentleman!"

He smiled. "Best of luck to you as well, Kimberly."

The two went their separate ways, with Kimberly returning to the left side of the stage and Hoster adjourning to the right. The crowd started to cheer once more as a spotlight focused on Kimberly.

"Oh! I'm up first this time?" she asked herself. With her Master Ball in hand, she took a few steps onto the stage and tossed it forward. A shower of sparkling bubbles preceded the appearance of Juliano the Blastoise, who dropped down onto the stage next to her.

" _Here's Kimberly's Blastoise once again, let's see what she does with him._ "

She rested her hand on his shell and spoke softly, "The crowd loved our acrobatics routine, should we give them more?"

After a second of thought, Juliano nodded.

"Very well!" she said with joy. "Get the crowd started with our fourth set, I'll join you momentarily."

Juliano dropped to all fours and readied himself for a running start. With an impressive burst of speed, he blitzed across the stage and leapt into the air, followed up by an impressive array of acrobatic feats; he tumbled to the ground with a somersault, smoothly transitioned into a cartwheel, then proceeded with a springing front flip which he landed perfectly.

" _Holy... That's quite an entrance! I had no idea that a Blastoise was capable of such moves!_ "

With Juliano in position, Kimberly undid the ribbon in the center of her dress and allowed the bottom to flow freely and loosely. She took her own running start and performed a similar acrobatic routine filled with cartwheels, flips, twirls and spins, almost as if she were a professional at it. Her final jump ended with her landing in the outstretched arms of her Blastoise. The crowd cheered!

" _Good execution, but it's more of the same... I do hope that Ms. Fairbrooke realizes that coordination is more about variety than being a one trick pony._ " Rosemary commented. A card with the number five on it was held above her head.

" _Agreed, what a waste of my time,_ " Leonardo added, scoring the performance with a lowly two.

Emma gave the performance a six. " _Easy there, Leo. Remember, this is the beginner's league. Our contestants might not be the most comfortable with a wide array of routines yet._ "

" _Surely she has more than three tricks up her sleeve. Why else would she be here?_ " he asked.

As Kimberly and Juliano returned to their side of the stage, she caught a glimpse of the judges' scores in the corner of her eye. "That... that's a worrying score..." she muttered to herself.

" _Up next is Hoster's first performance of the night. For this demonstration, Hoster has requested the use of props, and here you can see the stage crew setting them up._ "

A team of men and women in black clothing descended on the stage. Split into teams of two, the twelve member crew carried with them bales of hay decorated with archery targets. When the six targets were in place across various points of the stage, they returned backstage and appeared with even more targets. By the time they were finished, a total of eighteen targets sat on the floor or hung from cables above the stage.

Hoster readjusted his belt as he approached from his side of the stage. He pulled a standard red and white Pokéball from his pocket, tossed it toward the center and watched as it exploded with a cloud of windswept sand. A short tan and brown creature no taller than his hips appeared. Large black eyes bugged out of its tiny head and dozens upon dozens of long, pointed quills jutted out of its back. Two wickedly curved talons hung from the end of each of its arms, while equally long but broader and flatter claws sprouted from the end of its feet.

" _A Sandslash? Archery targets? We're in for a show, ladies and gentlemen!_ "

"Show them your battle capabilities, Sandslash!" Hoster ordered. "Spike Cannon!"

It was a simple command, but one that the Sandslash carried out with ruthless efficiency; with a twirl, he let loose a barrage of eighteen spiked quills, each cutting through the air faster than a speeding bullet. Each of the quills impacted the center of a target with unerring accuracy, much to the delight of the crowd.

" _Mother of-_ "

Before the judge could finish with their commentary, he spun around rapidly once again and unleashed another salvo of quills. Just as before, all eighteen flew through the air with nearly perfect accuracy, with a large amount of the previously shot quills being split down the center by the new arrivals. The crowd began to roar! He let loose another barrage, but the accuracy wasn't nearly as perfect this time; it may have been the noise of the crowd, the fact that he was getting dizzy or some other factor, but only fifteen of the quills hit a target this time, with just four landing in the center yet again.

" _That's some incredibly accurate shooting! And the speed... It's downright terrifying! I would not want to get on Hoster's bad side..._ " Emma commented. She gave the performance a high mark of eight.

" _Indeed, very, very impressive. Worryingly impressive._ " Leonardo added. He raised the night's first score of ten above his head.

" _I don't think this country has seen accuracy like that since the longbow fell out of favor nearly a century and a half ago,_ " Rosemary added with a score of nine.

As the stage crew began to haul the pierced targets away, Kimberly and Juliano discussed their next routine. "We should figure something else out... I'm not sure if another bubble display will suffice. Would you agree?"

Juliano nodded.

"What to do, then..." she wondered. "There are a few other things we've been working on... would you feel comfortable with the Frost Shell display?"

He shook his head.

"Hmm, yes, that is a bit complicated... We can't do the rock breaking routine, as we haven't arranged for it ahead of time..." She groaned with worry as she struggled to come up with a display they'd both be confident in. "How about some simple mimicry?"

Juliano's head tilted to the side as his eyes wandered in thought. He nodded.

"Great! Let's do this, then!"

As the two approached the center of the stage together, Emma commented, " _Looks like Kimberly is calling on her Blastoise again. I wonder what's in store for us this time?_ "

" _If we get more bubbles, I'm going-_ "

" _Quiet, Leo, they're about to begin!_ "

The two stood in the center of the stage and faced each other. She raised her left hand, a gesture that he mirrored without delay. She lowered her hand and stomped her right leg, which he echoed flawlessly. A clap was met with a clap, twirls were met with twirls and arms outstretched were met with arms outstretched, the two performing within an instant of each other.

" _Ah, mimicry! This is a very tough routine to master, and it's off to a good start._ " Rosemary commented.

The two turned away from each other. Once again, she raised her left hand, a motion met without delay or variance. However, while she raised her left hand next, he responded by waving his hands side to side. Another mismatched move followed; Kimberly stomped with her right leg, while Juliano stomped with his left. The timing between their gestures was slowly growing.

" _Oh dear, this is falling apart..._ "

The two twirled in unison. She followed up with a second twirl, but he jumped and clapped instead.

"Juliano!" she whispered loudly. "I think we should cut this short, we're not doing this right. In three seconds, let's turn to the crowd and finish, just like we practiced."

After their three seconds were up, they both turned to the crowd and blew a kiss. There was a mixed reaction from the crowd, with only small pockets of it clapping while the rest sat in silence or spoke softly amongst themselves.

" _That was... it was okay, but more work definitely needs to be done to smooth out their interactions and their timing, especially once they turn away from each other._ " Rosemary said. She gave the performance a score of six. " _However, you can tell that these two have very strong chemistry with each other if you look at how they started that performance._ "

" _I don't know if it's ignorance on my part on how difficult mimicry can be, but I must admit, I expected better execution,_ " Emma said. She held a card with the number five on it above her head.

Leonardo held a score of three up. " _At least she was original this time, even if it was poorly done._ "

With the stage clear, Hoster started his journey to the center with another Pokéball in his hands. With a toss, the Pokéball exploded with a bright flash of light, and once again, a swirling cloud of sand accompanied the appearance of a long, serpentine beast. The creature's body was tan in color and stretched to a length of nearly seven feet. The underbelly of the snake was bright white in color and was segmented by thin brown stripes every few inches. Near its head was a diamond-shaped hood, inside of which were tribal markings that resembled a skull.

" _That's a beautiful Arbok, I've never seen one like it before._ "

With a simple gesture of his arm, Hoster's Arbok started its display. The tip of its rattling tail emitted a soft, icy white glow as a thick haze of obscuring fog formed around it. The crowd began to wonder whether anything would happen at all as the Arbok disappeared within the cloud, stood completely still in statuesque silence.

Then, a bright orange light and the hissing of flames flashed through the fog. Shortly after, the buzzing of high electricity filled the auditorium as a bright yellow light followed. A bright white light was next, and the front row of the crowd was overcome by a blast of frigid wind. The cloud quickly faded and the Arbok reappeared in the same statue-like pose.

" _Ooof! Chilly!_ " Emma commented. She gave the performance a score of seven.

" _Excellent,_ " was the only thing Leonardo said, giving a similar score of seven.

Rosemary nodded and held up a card with the number eight on it. " _Hoster is very comfortable with mixing his moves up into unique displays. He's doing very well tonight._ "

The Arbok bowed its hooded head before slithering off towards Hoster's side, leaving the stage clear for Kimberly's final performance of the round.

Behind the curtains, Kimberly knelt down beside Telandra. "This doesn't look good, Tela... But it's possible we can still win if we perform strongly and our opponent drops the ball. We can't give up yet."

" _Murrrr?_ " Telandra purred.

"The illusion technique that aunt Nicole taught you about, back when you were just a kitten... Do you think you can do that?"

Telandra forcefully nodded, then took her position in the center of the stage; a soft wind blew around her as she sat down and closed her eyes. Her silky fur was pushed to and fro by the wind as a pallid white glow began to form around her.

Emma leaned forward on the judging table. " _Now what do we have here..._ "

The light eventually became bright enough to completely shroud her from view and after a few seconds, two bright white blurs of light shot outward. The light of these blurs quickly faded into nothingness, and before long, the light around Telandra faded as well. Instead of standing tall, she had collapsed to the floor, struggling to catch her breath.

Kimberly gasped in fright. "Telandra!" she called out as she rushed out onto the stage. She scooped the Skitty up into her arms and rocked her back and forth in a gentle manner. "Telandra? Are you okay?"

Telandra meowed weakly.

"I shouldn't have, I..." She stood back up and looked at the crowd for a brief moment before silently walking off towards her side of the stage.

" _That's not good..._ " Emma commented. " _Perhaps what they were going to do was simply too much for the Skitty to handle._ "

" _Unfortunately, it looks as if this performance is over before it began. According to the rules, Ms. Fairbrooke receives no points. Considering the scores from her Blastoise's other performances, this round has easily been decided._ "

" _That doesn't mean we're going to deprive you of Hoster's final performance, though! Let's watch._ "

A Pokéball soared onto the stage from behind the curtains and popped open with a burst of flames when it hit the floor. A small and fuzzy bat-like creature with bright orange fur flew out of the flames, leaving behind a trail of ethereal embers with each flap of its relatively large wings. Thin, floppy ears, much like those of a rabbit's, bounced around at every change in direction it made.

" _Hmm... never seen that one before. Hoster's registration lists this as a Vampyre. Must be native to his homeland._ "

"Vampyre, write us a message to show our appreciation for those who've come to see us tonight."

The Vampyre swooped to the left side of the stage, then zoomed across towards the right with an incredible burst of speed. A long, flickering trail of flames lingered in its wake. It circled around for another pass, leaving a much shorter line behind, and with a twirl, it added a vertical line of flames just below it.

" _T..._ " Emma started. " _H... A... N... Thank... Thank what? I like where this is going!_ " The first few letters the Vampyre had written faded by the time it started on the next one. " _Y... O... U... And an exclamation point to round it off! Isn't that adorable?_ "

" _It is!_ " Rosemary added, with a score of nine. " _I've seen this trick many times before over the years, and contestants usually use it to taunt their opponents. I'm glad that Mr. Burnett has taken the high road on this one._ "

" _Fantastic display!_ " Leonardo added. He held up a card with the number nine on it as well. " _The thing that impresses me the most is how long the letters lingered in the air. I've tried this myself many times and I could never quite master it... Not to say that Hoster has, of course._ "

" _Agreed,_ " Emma responded, giving the performance a score of eight. " _That's it, the last performance of this match up! Let's get up on stage with our contestants and break down the final scores._ "

The three judges left the comfort of their table and approached the center of the stage. Hoster walked forward, flanked on both sides by his Sandslash and his Arbok, while his Vampyre was perched on his shoulder like a parrot. Kimberly was slower in her approach, taking care not to jostle the exhausted Skitty in her arms.

"And there it is, ladies and gentleman, the conclusion of the match between Kimberly Fairbrooke and Hoster Burnett!" Emma announced. She walked up to Kimberly and said, "Before I lay out the scores, I want to check in on Kimberly's Skitty. She took quite a tumble at the end there. How is she?"

Kimberly looked down at Telandra with a loving smile on her face. "I shouldn't have pushed her to try that... The trick she tried to perform always took so much out of her when we practiced it, and that was after a long night's rest. To throw in another demanding routine before that..." she said as she shook her head. "Serenity willing, she just needs some rest."

Emma gently rubbed Telandra's head. "Get well soon, you cutie!" She joined the other two judges once again and motioned towards the screen at the back. "Now, onto the scores!"

The screen at the back of the stage turned on; on the left hand side was Kimberly's portrait, followed by Hoster's on the right. Scores for the first pairing were already displayed and between the two, there was a clearly defined winner.

Emma began to break down the numbers that appeared on the screen. "The first match was quite rough on you Kimberly, even if your performance was superbly executed. You were scored a 6, a 2 and a 5, which averages out to a 4.3." She turned to Hoster and explained his scores next. "For you, Hoster, 8, 9 and the night's first 10, which averages to 9. You and your Sandslash have certainly earned it, well done!"

Hoster nodded with a smile on his face.

Rosemary stepped up next as the scores for the second match were displayed. "The second match was between Ms. Fairbrooke's Blastoise and Mr. Burnett's Arbok. Once again, Ms. Fairbrooke struggled to earn high marks and achieved scores of 6, 3 and 5, averaging to 4.6. Meanwhile, Mr. Burnett's Arbok gave us a strong performance and earned 7, 7 and 8, for a combined average of 7.3."

The final numbers appeared on the screen; Kimberly felt a weight drop through her body as she saw the large zero on the screen, even if it were justified. She started to feel a little bit dizzy.

"Lastly, the final match," Leonardo started. "With the failure to put on a third performance, Kimberly was given zeroes across the board, and because of it, her final score averaged out to just 2.9, a record low in the Majesty of Aughrim's twelve year history. I'm not sure she had any business being here tonight."

Kimberly's throat began to close up as the words cut through her deeply. " _How dare he?!_ " she thought. She began to quiver, and before her emotions could get the better of her, she stormed off of the stage towards the left curtains.

Juliano took a menacing step towards Leonardo and glared a hole into him before rushing off to join her.

"Leo! What's the matter with you!? It must feel bad enough, you don't have to ridicule her!"

"How else will she improve?" he asked. "Hoster, on the other hand, had strong scores in the final match. His Vampyre performed admirably and earned scores of 9, 8 and 9. His final score for the entire round is 8.3, and he moves on with a decisive victory! Let's hear it for him!"

As the crowd cheered, Hoster watched Kimberly push her way through the stage crew and leave the auditorium in a hurry. He shook his head and waited for the crowd to die down a bit before saying, "I don't think that was called for, Mr. Bertucci. Not only have you made my own victory feel hollow, you may have just crushed that girl's dreams. I hope you're happy." He too walked off the stage, leaving the three judges alone.

Emma tried her best to maintain the cheerful attitude she'd presented all night. "Uhh... Right! We're going to have a quick commercial break, followed by the anticipated match between Jean-Luc De la Rivière and Samantha Ashwoode. See you on the other side!"

* * *

Andrea took a deep breath and held it in for a few seconds before letting it go. "Welp... here goes..." she said as she knocked on the door. There was no response. "Are you in there, Kim?"

After a few more seconds of silence, a sad sounding voice came from within. "Come in."

Andrea opened the door and stepped into the room. The first thing she noticed was the pastel green dress that Kimberly had worn was carelessly tossed to the floor and she was back in the clothing she wore earlier in the day. The TV that usually showed a live feed of the contest had been turned off. "I'm not sure how to... how to approach this, but, umm..."

Kimberly sighed and turned to face her. Several dark streaks of what was once her delicately applied eyeshadow ran down her cheeks. "You don't have to say anything..."

"I don't?" she asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" she said as she turned around again. She began to gather up her makeup supplies. "I'm terrible at this! I... I thought... that perhaps I had found something I could be good at. I was wrong."

"No, come on, don't say that," she replied in a genuine attempt to console Kimberly. "You did great, the crowd loved you!"

"But..."

"You got a few low scores, yes, but so what? This is-"

"A few? You heard that man, I smashed the record! I'll be remembered for years as a joke!" she shouted. "...sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you. I'm just... This was a dream that I was looking forward to, and that man..."

"Fuck that guy, he doesn't matter. I don't think his head could be buried any further up his own ass. You heard how he was treating the other contestants and comparing himself to them, he didn't just single you out." she reminded her. "If it means anything at all, I think you did a good job. I enjoyed your performances, regardless of whether they worked or not."

Kimberly shrugged off her words and shook her head. "I thought I was ready, but I clearly wasn't."

"Maybe you weren't, but... don't you also show a bit of promise?" she asked. "That Kanestka girl, what was her name... Senna! You wiped the floor with her."

"I don't think that's accurate... What are you trying to say?"

"When she was introducing herself, she said she was a league champion in her homeland, right?"

Kimberly nodded.

"That would mean she has a lot of experience, right?"

She nodded again.

"I don't know a lot about being a Pokémon trainer or being a coordinator or any of that stuff, but you still beat her. That _has to_ mean something."

With another sigh, Kimberly closed her makeup kit and returned it to her backpack. All she had the strength to offer in response was a half-hearted "Perhaps."

"You've stumbled once. Don't let this be the only time."

"I'm sorry, friend, I really wish I were in better spirits... Perhaps I'd be more enthused by what you're saying, but..." Kimberly groaned as she packed up the rest of her belongings. "Did you want to watch the rest of the contest?"

She rolled up her sleeve and checked the time on her R-Kit: 10:50 PM. "I might like to, but I'd like to get to bed before midnight, too... I still have to find a hotel to stay at as well, that could take some time..."

"Yes... going to bed sounds pretty good right about now..."

She placed her hand on Kimberly's shoulder. "You'll get through this."

"I suppose you're right..."

She offered her hand forward. "Anyways, it was nice meeting you! Best of luck in the future! You can do it."

"Good luck to you, too. I hope you find your business partner."

She nodded. "Good night."


	13. Interlude 2: Moving On

"Uuuuuuuugh~" Andrea let out a long and contented groan as she stretched and opened her eyes. " _My god... it's been so long since I slept on a nice bed..._ " she thought to herself.

She pushed the covers off of her and rolled out of bed. Immediately drawn to the light bleeding through the curtains, she unraveled them to a wonderful view of the morning ocean. The majesty was spoiled a bit; a single puffy cloud acted as a blemish upon an otherwise picture perfect, clear blue sky. An airplane drifted just a few hundred feet above the ocean, making its final adjustments as it approached the airport on the northern edge of the city. It all combined to form a relaxing atmosphere and it put her at ease.

She wandered back to her bed and unlatched her empty water bottle from her backpack, then retreated to the bathroom to fill it up at the sink. With her bottle filled, she returned to the bed and turned the TV on. As she dug through her backpack to retrieve a small bag of trail mix, a twenty four hour news broadcast appeared on the TV. The soothing atmosphere of the morning was shattered almost instantly; the main headline emblazoned across the bottom of the screen grabbed her attention: _'ACCOMPLISHED POKÉMON CHAMPION MISSING: FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED'_. She grabbed the remote again and turned the volume up.

"...many details yet, but local police have not ruled out the possibility of foul play," a reporter said.

"Have they given any details as to why this may be treated as a kidnapping?" the news anchor asked.

"The police have told me that several of Ms. Dahl's personal effects were discovered abandoned at a convenience store just a few blocks from the Colwyn International Airport, including the likes of her purse, her identification, her collection of Pokéballs and a large amount of silver and bronze coins. The fact that nothing appears to be missing is leading investigators to believe this was a kidnapping rather than a robbery gone bad."

As the anchor and the reporter continued their commentary, the weight of what was happening begun to sink in. "Oh... shit..." she muttered.

"And what about the rumors going around that Team Rocket may be involved in her disappearance?" the anchor asked. "Our viewers may remember that, last year, her heroic actions put an end to one of the largest trafficking rings in history, a ring that was spearheaded by Team Rocket. Is it possible that this is a form of payback?"

"There's no evidence of that so far. The fact that her Pokémon were left behind, Pokémon that she used to dismantle the trafficking ring, has led the police commissioner to surmise that they may not even be involved, but it's still too early to have any hard facts."

Andrea leaned back onto the bed in disbelief. "This is really happening, isn't it..." Thoughts rushed like a river in her mind; if it were foul play, who would want to harm her? She'd made a number of enemies over the years, from rivals to criminal organizations, but who would really go out of their way to harm her? Worse yet, why now? She felt bad for thinking it, but she vocalized it anyway, "At least I wasn't with her, I guess..."

The more she thought, the more she reasoned that it'd be wise to get in touch with Dr. Reiland. She pulled her phone out of her purse and turned it on; there was a single unread text message waiting for her.

 _'Fr: Rebecca Reiland, 6:26 AM_  
 _'Police commissioner got back to me about Ms. Dahl, it doesn't look good. He said more details are coming soon. Message me back when you get the chance.'_

She began to type out her response:

 _'yeah just saw the news. terrible! what should I do?'_

She hit send, set the phone down, sighed, then buried her face in her hands and rubbed away. "I was actually looking forward to this assignment... now I can't do it..."

Several moments passed by in relative silence as she thought about the situation some more. She was snapped back into reality when her phone started to ring. The noise was incredible and felt like the loudest thing she'd ever heard. She looked down at her phone as the screen lit up: ' _Incoming call from Kimberly Fairbrooke_ '.

"Wait... What? How the hell did she get my number..." she asked. The thought of ignoring the call crossed her mind, but curiosity about how her new friend was feeling got the better of her. Moreover, she needed a distraction. She pressed the answer button. "Hello?"

"Good morning, Andrea!" Kimberly's voice responded. "How are you?"

"I'm okay... how about you? Feeling any better?"

"A little... I took quite a tumble last night, it'll take some time before I'm on my feet again."

"You were really sure of yourself, weren't you?"

"Like you wouldn't believe..." she said, starting to trail off. "I was curious if you'd be interested in joining me for breakfast? I'm leaving the city today, this might be our last opportunity to see each other..."

"Umm..." she started. Something about the words that Kimberly chose made the question feel incredibly awkward to her and almost prompted her to say no. But the tone with which she spoke also sounded to her like a plea for the comforting presence of a friend. "Sure, why not? Did you have anywhere specific in mind?"

"Oh! I half expected you to say no... Umm... You said you've lived in this city, perhaps you have a recommendation?"

"Anywhere but the Crimson Crawdaunt is fine by me. Got some bad blood there with one of the other waitresses." she started with a laugh. "Are you a big fan of noodles? Rice? We could visit The Golden Lantern."

There was an audible gasp from Kimberly's side of the line. "The Golden Lantern? I like the sound of that name, let's check it out!"

"Heh, you make it too easy. I have a friend who lives here and he always wanted to go out to restaurants, but it takes him so long to figure out where to go that we never actually go!" she laughed. "It's on Zhuan Street, near the north end of Little Shinikara."

"Zhuan... Little Shinikara... Understood, I'll see you there!"

She hung up and tossed her phone onto the bed with a sigh again. "She must have a very good memory if she figured out my number..."

* * *

"Welcome to the Golden Lantern! Table for one?" A sharply dressed young lady of Shinikari descent asked.

"I'm meeting someone, actually. Is someone named Kimberly here yet?" Andrea replied.

The hostess looked at the registry on the podium in front of her. "We have a Kimberly Fairbrooke and a Kimberly Kensington. Which are you looking for?"

"Fairbrooke."

With a courteous nod, the hostess beckoned for Andrea to follow. "Very well. Follow me."

Kimberly was seated at a table far in the back of the restaurant. In front of her was a notebook, covered from top to bottom in words, doodles and thoughts. From her vantage point, Andrea couldn't decipher the exact meaning of the ink on the page, but the drawings painted the picture of a coordinator hard at work, designing a new routine.

What caught Andrea's attention the most, however, was how stunning Kimberly looked compared to the previous night. While she herself had just rolled out of bed and walked to the restaurant with little preparation, Kimberly was the opposite; her hair was neatly combed in some places and tightly braided in others, her eyelashes were well manicured, her eyeliner was broad and masterfully applied and her lips were covered in a thin layer of red gloss. She looked as if she had just returned from a professional makeup artist.

Kimberly broke her attention away from her notebook and looked up. A warm smile appeared on her face. "Andrea! So good to see you!" she said. "It means so much that you came."

Andrea pulled out the chair across the table. "Does it? Or are you just being polite?" she asked.

"Why not both?" she asked.

The hostess dropped two menus onto the table and pulled out a small notepad. "Would you like to order now, or do you need a moment?"

"I'll look over the menu first, thank you," Kimberly said.

"Very well, can I start you off with some drinks?"

"I'll have some pink lotus tea," Andrea answered.

"And a glass of water for me, please," Kimberly added.

"Pink lotus tea and water..." the hostess said as she wrote down the requests. "I'll be right back with them."

As Kimberly began to browse the menu, Andrea felt almost captivated by her appearance. She cautiously approached the subject. "Couldn't help but notice, but... I thought you said you were bad at this makeup business." she said.

"Hmm?"

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you look incredible! It's barely 8 AM and you look like you've had a full crew of professionals working on you for hours."

Kimberly looked up for a brief moment, offered a smile, then returned to the menu. "Oh! Thank you... Maybe I am better at it than I thought. When I'm nervous, I lose faith in myself, I suppose. Last night was... well, it was a nerve wracking disaster."

"Why doll yourself up so much?" she curiously asked. "It's not like you have any important meetings to attend or anyone to impress."

"To hide my imperfections, of which there are many. I'm pretty sure I didn't do myself any favors by going out on stage looking as badly as I did."

"Ah," she awkwardly offered. She wanted to disagree with the statement, but didn't feel like getting into an argument so early in the day over something that amounted to nothing. However, she had many thoughts about what her friend just said. " _So she's one of those types, huh? Already better looking than most of us combined, yet it's still not enough for her..._ "

Much to Andrea's relief, the hostess returned with a tall glass of water in one hand and a mug of tea in the other and placed them on the table, then pulled her notepad out again. "Ready to order yet?"

"Could I get the bacon salad wrap with brown rice?" she asked.

"Very well," the hostess said as she wrote down the order in her notepad. She looked at Kimberly next. "And for you?"

Kimberly folded her hands on the table and said, "I would like the veggie dumplings over white rice with some mango sauce on the side, please."

"I'll be right back with your orders, ladies!" the hostess said before returning to the kitchen.

Kimberly began to write some more words in her notebook. "So... Has your partner arrived yet?"

She shook her head and buried her gaze in her tea. After a brief moment of silence, all she could say was, "No."

Kimberly was concerned about the melancholy tone with which she spoke. "Is there trouble?"

"I'm hoping it's nothing, but... They found her belongings abandoned in a convenience store on the north end of the city, just outside of the airport. Money, Pokéballs, ID... It's like she just disappeared."

"Oh dear! Do they have any clues as to where she may have gone, or if anyone was responsible?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. They said it looks like another kidnapping, but they don't have any idea of who did it."

"That's terrible! I hope she's safe."

"Yeah... Hard to believe, isn't it? You'd think a three-time league champion would command some powerful Pokémon, right? And she couldn't defend herself? That's a scary thought."

"Maybe they caught her unawares? She might not have had the opportunity to call on a protector."

"Surely she put up a struggle, then? Wouldn't the store employees have noticed something? Something's definitely fishy."

Kimberly shrugged "I suppose the only thing you can do is wait until more details are released."

"Well, in any event, she's missing, and I'm stuck here waiting to hear from my boss about what to do. Hooray..." She took a big gulp from her tea and was ready to move onto a lighter subject. "What's in store for you, now? Are you still going to try this coordination stuff?"

"I'm not sure... I have to think it over for a bit. There's a small competition happening in Rustlode Bluffs that I was thinking of attending. If I don't do well at that, perhaps it's time to find something else to do with my life... yet again." she said, then let out a light chuckle. "Heh... Never thought I'd be back there..."

She tilted her head inquisitively. "You got some history with that city?"

"Not the city itself, but the minor competitions. I took part in one just before I joined my mother for her work in Glastonfell and I crushed my competition, but that was five months ago. Perhaps I've gotten rusty in that time."

She snickered.

Kimberly was mystified. "What? Did I say something funny?"

"You've gotten rusty, so you're visiting Rustlode Bluffs?"

"Oh!" Kimberly said before bursting into a fit of laughter. "Oh dear... that was dreadful!"

"Sorry, continue."

"Umm... yes, that's my plan. I'm not sure what else there is to say."

Andrea brought the map function up on her R-Kit. "Where is Rustlode, anyways? I know it's on the southern coast..." After finding the location of Rustlode Bluffs on the map, she asked it to plot a route for her. To her surprise, the map plotted a route directly through Doranshire.

"Oh, are you passing through Doranshire, then?" she asked.

Kimberly paused for a moment to think. "I hadn't planned on it. I was going to follow the coast and pass through Tradewind. Why, is it a quicker route?"

"According to this it is."

"Are you saying you'd like us to travel together?" A smile appeared on her face.

"If you wouldn't mind detouring," she shrugged. "Besides, maybe it's not a bad idea to stick together, what with the nationwide murder rate skyrocketing in recent months."

Kimberly's eyes widened. "Excuse me?"

"You don't watch the news much, do you?"

Kimberly shook her head. "The news is depressing. It's a constant cycle of fear mongering and rabble rousing designed to pit us against each other. Besides, I haven't had much of an opportunity to, I've been busy working alongside my mother."

"Oh right, you've been out of the country... We've had a sharp increase in violent crime since the year began, a large majority of it targeted at young women like us. Murders, kidnappings, robbery, you name it."

"Oh... Umm..." Kimberly mumbled, her voice wavering.

"We don't have to travel together, but it wouldn't be wise to travel-" Her words were interrupted by the shrill tones of her phone ringing. A look at the screen showed an incoming call from Dr. Reiland. "Hold that thought, it's my boss." She accepted the call and placed her phone to her ear. "Hello, doctor!"

"Good morning, Ms. Dennison," Dr. Reiland's voice replied.

"Have you heard anything new from the police commissioner yet?"

"No, not yet. We're both in the dark here..." Dr. Reiland said. A long pause followed. "Here's what I want you to do. I want you to stay in Aughrim for a few days, until we know what's going on. Obviously something's not right, but I fear its worse than anyone realizes at the moment. The circumstances of her disappearance are... they're just too bizarre. Don't worry about finding a place to stay, I'll get your hotels sorted out, unless you can find a friend to live with for awhile."

As a new hire, she was cautious about suggesting it, but figured it wouldn't hurt to ask. "What if I found a friend to travel with, instead?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"What I mean is... what if I found someone else to take me to Doranshire? I don't mind getting started without Tamara."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, dear, but you weren't intended to be the expert in this matter, Ms. Dahl was. You were to assist her, as she is the one with experience in these circumstances."

She ignored the voice in her head that urged caution and continued to push the subject. "You said it yourself, this isn't something that can wait for too long. Lives could be at stake here if there's actually something wrong in that town."

"I suppose that is true..."

"And even if I don't know a thing about this paranormal stuff, what if it _is_ something as simple as a gas leak or something in the water, like you suggested? Problem solved, with or without Tamara."

"But if it isn't that, you've wasted your time, then."

"I'd rather be wasting my time there than here," she answered back. "But if you want me to stay here, I will."

There was another long pause and the sound of papers being shuffled in the background. "You might have a point, actually. There's definitely something wrong in that village, and it might be something that you could handle yourself. You did well enough in Nettlefield, perhaps you can surprise me again?"

"Thank you! I'll get to work as soon as I can!"

"Hold on, not so fast. I'll only give you the go ahead if you can find someone trustworthy. And I want you to clear them with me before you go anywhere."

"I'm actually sitting right next to her..." she said before locking eyes with Kimberly. "If she wants to, at least."

Kimberly did little more than offer a nod.

"Oh, really? Tell me a little bit about her."

She paused at the realization that she didn't know much about Kimberly other than she was an aspiring coordinator who'd just recently returned from a trip abroad. Trustworthiness hadn't even crossed her mind, but she seemed harmless and innocent enough. "Maybe she can tell you a bit better. Want to talk to her?"

"Yes, put her on the line."

She handed the phone across the table. "Here, my boss wants to talk with you. Her name is Dr. Reiland."

"Oh, Dr. Reiland! I've met her before!" Kimberly said, her face lighting up. She grabbed the phone. "Hello, Dr. Reiland?"

"Who am I speaking with?"

"Kimberly Fairbrooke."

There was a short pause in the conversation. "That name is familiar..."

"I can understand if you don't remember, but you and I met almost two years ago. I received a Squirtle, from your institution's Gifts for Girls program."

"Hmm. I don't quite remember that... Heh, my memory isn't what it used to be. Anyways! My employee said she's interested in travelling with you. Are you okay with that?"

"I am. It sounds like it could be fun!"

Dr. Reiland let out a chuckle. "I don't know about fun. Ms. Dennison will be doing a lot of sample gathering and in-depth analysis of her findings... She could be there for some time, are you okay with staying for... say... four or five days?"

Kimberly paused to think. "That might be cutting it a little close with the schedule I'd like to keep... I have prior obligations I need to attend to in Rustlode Bluffs."

"I suppose you don't have to stay with her for the entire time... She doesn't have any Pokémon of her own, so I don't want her travelling the roads alone. But if you can get here there, you can be on your way and I'll send another one of my employees to pick her up when she's finished."

"Whatever happens in the end, I'd be happy to help!"

"Do you have much experience with travelling yourself?"

"I do! I spent a little over a year with a friend of mine while she pursued a career as a competitive Pokémon trainer."

"And are you familiar with the area?"

"Yes ma'am! My friend and I passed through Doranshire at the tail end of our time together. I think I remember the town enough to show her around."

"And your Pokémon? You said you received a Squirtle from me. I'll assume you've picked up more since then?"

"My Squirtle is a Blastoise now, and I also have a Skitty with me as well," Kimberly answered. "While it's true that my Skitty isn't the most proficient fighter, my Blastoise will have no trouble defending us from whatever trouble we may run into on the road."

"Well then, you sound like a good candidate for getting Ms. Dennison started. I'm not sure I'll be able to pay you for your time, but-"

She made a negative hand gesture as she shook her head. "Don't worry about payment, Dr. Reiland! I would be doing this because I want to, not for the money."

"Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Positive, ma'am."

"Very well, then. Thank you. Could I speak with Andrea again?"

She handed the phone back to Andrea.

"So what do you think, doctor?" Andrea asked.

"She's very polite and from the sound of it, very experienced with both travel and the areas you'll be visiting."

"Are we good to go, then?"

There was another short pause. "Do you trust her? This may just be a bit of paranoia, considering the circumstances regarding Ms. Dahl's disappearance, but... She seems a little too good to be true."

Andrea looked up at Kimberly and received a warm, friendly smile from her. "I... I do. Yes."

"I'll take your word for it, then. You two can get started whenever you're ready. Do keep in mind that if Ms. Dahl does resurface, she'll be taking the reigns from you, understood?"

"Understood, and thank you, doctor. You'll be proud of my work, I promise!"

"We'll see. Talk to you soon."

"Good bye!" She ended the call and put her phone back into her purse, then slung it over her shoulder and stood up. "We're good to go!"

"Wondrous! But perhaps we should wait for our breakfast to arrive before we leave?"

She stopped in her tracks and turned around, then sat back down. "That's probably a good idea."


	14. Chapter 12: Sacred Garden

Far in the distance, cloaked in the blue haze of the distant sky, stood perhaps Lanark's most well known and recognizable natural landmark: the Oak of Ages. The massive tree, thought to tower over 600 meters in height, was a curiosity to the people of Lanark; while most oak trees throughout the country stand tall for just under two hundred years, the Oak of Ages has been known to exist for at least a thousand years. It may be even older, in fact, as cave paintings dated to 6000 BC detail the tree, and it may yet be even more ancient. Whatever the case, it is a remarkable sight to behold and an easy landmark to spot from just about anywhere in the West Country.

"Are you familiar with that tree in the distance, Andrea?" Kimberly asked.

"I am. It's the Oak of Ages, the tallest tree in the world. When I was studying at the university, I could see it from my bedroom window on a really clear day."

"Oooh! You were quite lucky!" Kimberly said with excitement. "Have you ever visited it?"

She shook her head. "No, I never got the opportunity to. Always busy with my studies and my work... Have you?"

"I have! About nine months ago, in fact. It's so... breathtaking! To imagine something so large, so ancient... You'll be happy to know that we'll be passing by it on our way to Doranshire!"

"Will we? I should see if we can get up close and have a look at it. Maybe I can find something for Dr. Reiland to take a look at back at the lab."

"That may be difficult... There's a conservation group which owns the land it sits on, and I don't believe that they allow visitors to approach it. When I last visited, my friend Nicole and I were passing through the area on our way to Aughrim and we were denied entrance. In fact, I remember them treating her very poorly, as if she'd done something to offend them. She'd never visited before!"

"Really?"

"I know, isn't that strange?" Kimberly wondered. "Perhaps things have changed in the past year. When we get there, we'll have to see if they'll allow us to visit."

"Yeah, you bet."

Andrea took the time to study her surroundings a bit more. Apart from the previous few days, it was the first time she had left the metal and concrete confines of Aughrim in over a year. It was much nicer than the muddy and rocky wilderness outside of Loch Alstan; rows of oak and fir trees stood tall, guarding the land behind them from the crisp ocean breeze that blew in off of the bay. Flowers of varying shades of red, pink, white and lavender sprouted from the land around them, and the heady aroma of honey was carried on the wind around them.

"The countryside sure is beautiful, isn't it? Hard to believe I've never been out here..."

" _Never?_ " Kimberly asked.

"Never. If I wasn't too busy, I was too scared. I'm sure you've heard the stories."

"I have, but I don't believe them to be true. I've travelled these roads a lot, and I have not run into trouble as much as the media likes to claim."

"Hmm," she mumbled. All throughout her childhood and into her teen years, she'd heard horror stories of people being mauled, paralyzed or killed by feral Pokémon, at least once a month, sometimes more. For those stories to be so quickly dismissed seemed silly, yet Kimberly _did_ have quite a bit of first hand experience that shouldn't be dismissed either. She wasn't sure what to believe. "So, you travel a lot, do you? Where exactly have you been?"

"All over! I spent a few years in Kalos, as a child... My junior year of high school was spent abroad in Romatti as part of a student exchange program, as well. And then there was the time I vacationed in Kanto for a few weeks..."

Andrea's eyes began to widen as she listed off more locations: an ill-fated meeting with the representative of a charity organization in Kensacola, a brief visit to the country of Cordona with her father and her attendance of a wedding in the Isles of Alola, to name a few.

"...and most recently," she continued, "I spent a few months in the northern reaches of Glastonfell. It gets quite cold up there during the winter, dreadfully cold! I don't know how they do it, especially when they're wearing those tartan kilts!"

"I... kinda meant specifically here, in Lanark," Andrea laughed.

"Oh! I've been to most places. The only place I don't recall ever visiting is a little town called Goldwheat Meadows. I wanted to, but Nicole saw no need to, so we went around it."

Andrea chuckled. "That's where I grew up. You didn't miss much."

She tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at her friend's words. "Really? You don't have a very strong accent for someone who grew up in Goldwheat."

"Blame my parents, they never had much of an accent either. Those two are practically the only people I ever spoke with as I was growing up."

She paused for a moment before she cautiously edged around the self-disparaging remark. "I'm sure there's something interesting about Goldwheat that would be worth visiting for!"

"There are only two things that Goldwheat is famous for: the famine that killed over 20,000 people and that fucking asshole who made it worse by refusing to help the poor. I don't remember his name and I don't care to."

"That's an awfully dour outlook on the town you grew up in!"

"It's also true. If you ever do visit, you'll see what I mean. The town never recovered... Entire suburbs were abandoned after the famine and most of it's a ghost town... Wonder why my parents chose to settle down in that shit hole..."

Her interest in the town that Andrea grew up in was piqued and she wanted to know more, but she found her friend's language crude and distasteful. She could sense annoyance in Andrea's voice about the town, so she shifted subjects. "If I may ask... do you always swear this much?"

"Huh?"

"You've been swearing an awful lot since we've met. More than I'm used to. Is that normal, or are you annoyed about something, or..?"

"What's the matter, does it bug you? I can try to tone it down, if you want."

"Thank you."

"Personal objections about it?" Andrea curiously asked.

"In a way. When I was on the road with Nicole, she swore like a sailor. Worse than you, even! I tried to get used to it, but it was always so excessive... Day in, day out... Every sentence, an F here, an S there... I found that I started to pick up on that filthy habit myself, and it's unbecoming of a young lady such as myself."

Andrea let out a subdued laugh. " _So she's one of them 'holier than thou' types... This should be an interesting few days..._ " she thought.

"Is there something funny about that?"

"No, no! Just... I'll give it a rest." Andrea answered. "So, you said you've been on this road before. Anything here I should know about? Landmarks, rest stops, any of that?"

She took a look at her surroundings. "I can't recall if we've passed it already, but there's a hidden garden somewhere around here that I've been itching to visit."

"Hidden garden?" Andrea checked the time on her R-Kit. "How long would this visit take? I don't remember much from my days in the Scouts... I'd probably freeze to death by morning, so I'd like to get to the next town by nightfall."

"Not long. An hour, perhaps?"

"Mmm, that might be cutting it a little close, but... Let me know when we get close to this place."

"I shall."

* * *

Kimberly emerged from a thick row of shrubs and looked behind her. She let out a smile and motioned towards herself. "Come along now! It should be just through this thicket."

Andrea struggled against the snagging branches of the shrubs until she eventually stumbled through them. "What should be? You're not giving me an awful lot of information."

Kimberly scouted ahead through the thick grass, waist high grass. "It's a surprise! I'm sure you'll like it."

Her patience was beginning to thin. They had spent the last twenty minutes venturing into unmarked wilderness, and for what? A garden? She wondered what kind of garden would even be out this far. "You're testing my patience. Shouldn't we be following some sort of trail?"

Kimberly pointed towards a tree beside them; several feet up was a green square hastily painted onto its bark. "We are following a trail, but it's one that requires a keen eye."

She shook her head in disbelief as she continued to follow Kimberly through the thick forest. "Can you at least tell me where we're going?"

There was a brief moment of silence before Kimberly answered. "Have you ever heard of the Peace Gardens?"

"I haven't."

"How do I word this and make it understandable..." Kimberly muttered to herself. "They're places that hold special meaning to certain people. Visiting these gardens allows us to get in touch with our inner selves."

A light bulb flashed in her head. "Oh! You're one of those religious types, aren't you?"

"I am."

"Interesting... Strange, but interesting."

"Strange?"

"I haven't really met many religious people. These days, most people don't bother with such antiquated thoughts."

"I would argue that they're not antiquated ideals, and in fact, they are just as relevant as they ever have been."

"I don't know about-"

Kimberly stopped in her tracks and turned around with a stern look on her face. "I can appreciate if faith is not your cup of tea, but please, don't start belittling my beliefs if you know nothing about them. I will _not_ tolerate that."

She was surprised by the sharp criticism. "Fair enough."

Before long, they had arrived at a small nook in the wilderness that seemed to be perfectly manicured by human hands, yet looked completely natural at the same time. Thick, moss covered willow trees shielded much of the area from direct sunlight. Water cascaded over a nearby cliff, providing an ample supply of fresh water to the largest feature of the area, the pristine, lily-covered pond. A small stone pillar stood in front of the pond.

Andrea was immediately drawn to the stone pedestal and studied it closely. It appeared to be covered from top to bottom in mysterious glyphs that she had never seen before. "What does this say?" she asked.

Kimberly joined her at the pedestal and briefly studied the writing on it. "I couldn't tell you. It's not a language I'm familiar with."

"Huh..." she wondered as she studied the writing some more. She could see an obvious pattern in the glyphs, but the meaning was totally lost on her. She pulled her phone out and began to take pictures of the pillar from all sides. "Surely someone back at the lab might have an idea of what this is..."

As she did so, Kimberly wandered a few steps closer to the shore of the pond and dropped her backpack to the ground. She grabbed a small, square blanket from within and spread it on the ground in front of the pond.

"What are you doing?" Andrea asked.

Kimberly sat down on the blanket, crossed her legs and rested her hands in her lap. "I thought I'd take the time to reflect a bit."

There was a clear look of confusion on Andrea's face. "Reflect?"

"Meditation."

"Meditation..." She let out an annoyed chuckle. "Gee, thanks for telling me that this was the reason we came here."

"Would you care to join me?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't meditate. Besides, do we really have time for this?"

"Of course we do! This doesn't take long."

"Couldn't you have meditated this morning? Before we met for breakfast? Or maybe when we got to the next town?"

Kimberly kept her eyes closed as she responded. "Doing so would have been a misuse of my time. I intended on visiting this place with or without you."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Kimberly opened her eyes. "Meditation is important to me. It helps me to find happiness and clarity of purpose, my inner peace. Doing so in a hotel room would not have been as effective as doing it here, surrounded by the beauty of nature." She closed her eyes again and resumed her meditation.

"Not as effective?"

"I'll be happy to explain later, but please, allow me to begin. We'll be on our way quicker if you do."

She wanted to interrupt Kimberly's meditation with some further confrontational questioning, but realized there was little advantage in doing so; she was relying on this woman to get to Doranshire, and angering her could potentially jeopardize that plan. Instead, she stomped off to another section of the garden. "Hmmph... Stuffy religious types. It's always about them, isn't it..." she muttered to herself. She turned around to look at Kimberly one more time, then wandered further into the garden.

"She should have told me she was going to waste my time," she muttered to herself. "I might have been okay with it. But no, she had to keep it to herself until I _couldn't_ say no."

Regardless of her feelings at the moment, she couldn't help but appreciate the peaceful atmosphere of the garden around her. The birds singing their songs in harmony, the sound of rushing water cascading over smooth rocks, the gentle breeze caressing the leaves, it all combined to sooth her spirit. Perhaps Kimberly was right, and that there was something to this place, but she didn't want to admit it. She wanted to continue to be angry over the bait and switch tactic her friend employed.

The calming atmosphere distracted her from her chief concern: staying safe in the wilderness. She found herself drawn further and further away from Kimberly, further from security. Before she knew it, she has passed many alluring landmarks, each leaving her wanting more; a ring of bright purple mushrooms nestled around a fallen log, a massive tree stump nearly five feet in diameter, a narrow gorge with a babbling brook at the bottom of it. She crossed over the gorge with the aid of a log that spanned the length of it and continued further into the unknown.

The noise of fluttering wings grabbed her attention and snapped her back into reality. Just above her was the largest bird she had ever seen, definitely larger than herself. Draped in golden feathers, the bird hovered gently towards the ground and landed in front of her. Its head turned a perfect 180 degrees, allowing its deep amber eyes to study her inquisitively. Horns similar in shape to a trident jutted from the creature's head.

"Shit!" she shouted as she stumbled backwards. After putting a sizable distance between herself and the massive bird, she quickly picked herself up off of her feet and got ready to run.

The bird did little but stare at her.

She cautiously raised her R-Kit and began to scan the creature before her. "Please don't attack me while I'm distracted..."

"Noctowl, the Great Owl Pokémon!" the R-Kit began to drone as she kept her attention locked on the bird. "Among all of the birds of the Pokémon kingdom, Noctowl is generally regarded as one of the most intelligent. It appears to have complex problem solving thought processes typically unseen in most other species, displaying the ability to open doors, disassemble basic mechanical devices and navigate mazes with little backtracking."

The Noctowl extended its wings and flapped them before returning to its regal pose. Andrea instinctively took a step back, but lowered her guard a bit once it showed no intent to attack her.

"Noctowl is culturally important in Lanark," the R-Kit continued. "From ancient times to renaissance times, it was regarded as the guardian spirit of intelligence. Partially translated ancient texts spoke of it being a key of some sort, while more modern accounts described it as a moral and spiritual guide for royalty and those of noble blood."

"I don't understand what any of that means..." she muttered as she kept her eyes on the Noctowl. "You're not going to hurt me, are you?"

Once again, the owl was silent. All it did was stare.

" _Maybe I should get back to Kimberly..._ " she thought. She took a few cautionary steps backwards before turning around, still keeping her vision locked on the Noctowl. In the brief second she took to watch her footing, the Noctowl had disappeared in complete silence. "Ooookay, I don't like where this is going."

Her journey back to the pond was the same as before: quiet and lonely. Over the log, above the gorge, around the tree stump, beside the mushroom circle. As she passed along, she looked up towards the sky and there it was; the Noctowl had followed her in absolute silence. Perched in a tree, it continued to stare at her.

"Go away..." she whispered to herself.

At last, she had made it back to the pond. Kimberly appeared to have completed her meditation and was in the process of folding up her blanket.

"Ooof... Am I glad to see you!" she called out.

"Really? You seemed quite annoyed when we last spoke... I should apol-"

Andrea bulldozed the apology with a warning. "There's a giant bird out there and I'm pretty sure it's stalking me! We should get out of here."

Kimberly reached down for the Master Ball that dangled from the belt of her dress and looked through the tree tops around her. "Giant bird?"

"A Noctowl, I don't know if you're familiar with that one."

Kimberly's cautious demeanor melted. "Ah! Yes, I am! I've seen a few during my travels. They're fairly peaceful creatures."

"I don't know... I don't feel safe around here, that thing was freakishly _huge_... Can we leave now?"

"Yes. Let's be on our way."


End file.
